The content of acrylamide in foods in Iran: A review of formation mechanism, toxicity and control strategies

Abstract

During the preparation of food with heat, a number of different favorable and unfavorable compounds are produced. One of these harmful contaminants is acrylamide (AA), which is formed when foods containing reducing sugars and the amino acids, especially asparagine, are subjected to thermal processing at temperatures upper 120 °C and under limited humidity. Since AA is classified as ''probably carcinogenic to humans'' (group 2A) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, it has become a limiting factor for food inspectors worldwide. Therefore, the present study examines the content of AA in food in Iran. Moreover, its mechanism of formation, toxicity and control strategies were reviewed. The results showed that the lowest amount of AA was formed in nuts and the most was formed in fried potatoes and potato chips. In conclusion, implementing effective control strategies to reduce AA in processed food products in Iran is recommended. As many control strategies have negative effects on organoleptic properties, adoption of two or more simultaneous control methods to improve the performance of reducing AA and alleviating sensory problems in food products is suggested.

Keywords

• Acrylamide
• Bread
• Coffee
• Nuts
• Prevention and Control
• Toxicity mechanism