Serving food with less acrylamide

RESULTS and recommendations from several recent studies are increasing health concerns regarding acrylamide in various food products. Acrylamide is naturally produced when starchy foods are fried or baked at high temperatures; and is a chemical substance causing serious health concerns. There is increasing evidence that acrylamide in food might be a health risk, according to Heat-generated Food Toxicants (HEATOX), the three-year project launched by the EU Commission to learn more about acrylamide in cooked foods and provide advice to industry. The HEATOX report also states that there are ways to decrease exposure to acrylamide but no way to completely eliminate it. Various methods of reducing acrylamide levels in food products are listed in series of guides collected by the Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the EU (CIAA). However, most of these methods require changes in ingredients and processes, resulting in an altered final product, which is not preferred by food manufacturers. The latest version of the CIAA toolbox now includes the enzyme asparaginase, which has been proven to reduce acrylamide levels by up to 90% in a broad range of foods, such as biscuits, crisp bread, crackers, snacks, and tortilla chips. So far enzyme technology is the only solution in market that reduces acrylamide without changing the taste and appearance of the final product. What is acrylamide? Scientists in Sweden accidentally discovered Acrylamide in food products in April 2002 when they found large amounts of the chemical in cookies, French fries, biscuits, and other fried and baked starchy foods. Acrylamide or acrylic amide is a chemical compound, traditionally used to synthesize polyacrylamides, as water-soluble thickeners in wastewater treatment, in papermaking, ore processing, and the manufacture of permanent press fabrics. Acrylamide is sometimes used in the manufacture of dyes and other monomers. As valuable as acrylamide is in other applications, in food products it is the cause of serious health concerns and should be reduced. The ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle is applied for acrylamide levels in food, which means that manufacturers of foods that contain acrylamide must make every reasonable effort to reduce the levels by as much as is practically possible. The main mechanism for acrylamide formation in starchy foods involves two common components of these foods: reducing sugars and the amino acid asparagine. The sugars react with asparagine when the food is heated and through a cascade of reactions, the side chain of asparagine is converted to acrylamide. These reactions, which produce acrylamide, are part of the heat-induced Maillard reactions, which also produce the brown color and characteristic tasty flavor of baked, fried, and toasted foods. Evaluating the health risk Awareness of acrylamide and the problems it can cause are on the rise. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have established an international network on acrylamide in food. The network's aim is to allow all interested parties to share relevant data as well as information on ongoing investigations. The network is operated by the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN), a collaborative multidisciplinary research and education program jointly administered by the US Food and Drug Administration and the University of Maryland. Recently, Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association Group (CCFRA), a UK research body has come up with a new acrylamide detection method to support manufacturers in determining the levels of acrylamide in their food products. Eurofins, a global analytical company has also increased their analytical capacity to test for acrylamide formation in foods. Intensive research is being carried out to investigate waysAir Max 90 SACAI