What is the Acrylamide in the
food?
Acrylamide
is a carcinogen (agent causing cancer) or neurotoxin (toxin causing nerve
damage). According to FDA 2012, Acrylamide is a chemical substance that can produced
in certain foods during high-temperature cooking processes with 250° F such as
frying, roasting, and baking. It doesn’t contain in raw food naturally. It is
converted from sugars and an amino acid that are naturally present in food; it
does not come from food packaging or the environment.
Acrylamide
should not exist in our human food; it is the material used to manufacture
products such as plastics, grouts, water treatment products, and cosmetics.
Acrylamide is also found in cigarette smoke. Acrylamide had been present in our
daily food for a long time, but it was only first detected in April 2002.
Boiling
and steaming do not typically form acrylamide. Acrylamide is found mainly in
foods made from plants, such as potato products, grain products, or coffee.
Generally, acrylamide is more likely to accumulate when cooking is done for
longer periods or at higher temperatures.
FDA
regulates the amount of residual acrylamide in a variety of materials that come
in contact with food; The EPA regulates acrylamide in drinking water. European governments
permit 10 parts per million (ppb) of acrylamide in packaged foods, but U.S.
standards are more lax. For example, Kellogg’s Rice Crispies contain 110 ppb
and Pringles original crisps contain 1,480 ppb. Sugar-coated breakfast cereals
have even higher levels than Rice Crispies.
Examples of Foods with Acrylamide
Exposure
·
Plant foods such as potatoe (French
fries, potato chips), grain products (breads and breakfast cereals, cookies,
toast), and coffee. While, dairy, animal foods (poultry, meat) or seafood are
excluded.
·
Various forms of these foods are
typically fried, baked or roasted. Steaming or boiling cooking method are safe
from Acrylamide production.
The
average content in potato chips is approximately 1000 micrograms/kg and in
French fries approximately 500 micrograms/kg. Other food groups which may
contain low as well as high levels of acrylamide are fried bread products-such
as doughnuts-breakfast cereals, fried potato products, biscuits, cookies and
snacks, such as tortilla chips, bread crust and popcorn.
What Can I Do to Reduce Acrylamide?
· The cooking method affect the amount of
Acrylamide
form in the foods. Boiling/Microwaving doesn’t produce Acrylamide. The
sequences of Acrylamide level following the cooking method : Frying >
Roasting > Baking > Boiling/Microwaving.
· Soaking raw potato slices in water for 15-30 minutes before frying
or roasting helps reduce acrylamide formation during cooking.
· Storing potatoes in the refrigerator can result in increased
acrylamide during cooking. Hence, store potatoes
outside the refrigerator, preferably in a dark, cool place, such as a closet or
a pantry, to prevent sprouting.
· Generally, more acrylamide accumulates when cooking is done for
longer periods or at higher temperatures. Cooking cut potato products, such as
frozen French fries or potato slices, to a golden yellow color rather than a
brown color helps reduce acrylamide formation (see Picture A). Brown areas tend
to contain more acrylamide.
· Toasting bread to a light brown color, rather than a dark brown
color, lowers the amount of acrylamide (see Picture B). Very brown areas should
be avoided, since they contain the most acrylamide.
· Acrylamide forms in coffee when coffee beans are roasted, not when
coffee is brewed at home or in a restaurant. So far, scientists have not found
good ways to reduce acrylamide formation in coffee.
|
|
|
Golden
yellow:
Less
Acrylamide
|
Brown:
More
Acrylamide
|
|
|
|
Light brown:
Less Acrylamide
|
Dark brown:
More Acrylamide
|
References:
Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) 2012: Food Contaminants & Adulteration.
