The discovery in 2002 that cooking of various foods at high temperature (exceeding 100°C) results in the formation of high levels of acrylamide1 has caused considerable concern because this compound has been classified as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’ by the International Agency for Research on Cancer2. In fact, acrylamide levels ranging from a few micrograms to some milligrams per kilogram have been found in many staple foods, such as potatoferrous sulfate liquid iron supplement derivatives (potaferrous sulfate que es en españolto chips, French fries, etc.), bakery products (bread crust, crisp bread, biscuits, crackers, breakfast cereals, etc.), roasted coffee and cocoa3,4. Maillard-type reactions, i.e. involving the presence of reducing sugars (e.g. glucose and fructose) and the amino acid asparagine, have been shown as one of the major reaction pathways of acrylamide formation5,6.
Occurrence, toxicology and strategies for reducing acrylamide levels in foods
