Acrylamide is a chemical compound that is formed when starchy foods are cooked at high temperatures, like frying or baking. It is created through a process called the Maillard reaction, which occurs between sugars and amino acids in the food. Acrylamide has been classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. However, the risks from dietary exposure are thought to be low. Still, there has been significant interest in finding ways to reduce acrylamide levels in food to minimize any potential health risks. This article will explore the question: What can neutralize acrylamide?
What is Acrylamide?
Acrylamide (C3H5NO) is an odorless, white crystalline solid that is highly soluble in water. It is used primarily to manufacture various polymers and copolymers, such as polyacrylamides. These polymers have many industrial applications, including use as water-soluble thickeners, flocculants, papermaking aids, ore processing aids, and permanent press fabric treatments.
Acrylamide can form in starchy foods during high-temperature cooking, including frying, roasting, baking, and grilling. Some common foods found to contain significant levels of acrylamide include French fries, potato chips, breads, crackers, breakfast cereals, and coffee. The acrylamide forms from natural precursors in the food, mainly the amino acid asparagine and reducing sugars such as glucose and fructose.
Studies in rodents have shown that acrylamide can have toxic effects on the nervous system and reproductive organs at high doses. It has been classified by the IARC as a Group 2A carcinogen, meaning it is probably carcinogenic to humans. However, the levels of dietary exposure to acrylamide in humans are much lower than the doses used in animal studies. The risks from acrylamide in food are thought to be low for most people.
Health Risks of Acrylamide
Although acrylamide has shown toxic and carcinogenic effects in rodents, the health risks from dietary exposure in humans are not fully clear. Here is a summary of the current evidence on acrylamide and human health:
– In rodent studies, acrylamide causes cancer at multiple organ sites, including the thyroid, lungs, brain, and breast. Animal studies consistently show neurotoxic effects of acrylamide as well.
– Epidemiological studies in humans looking for associations between acrylamide intake and cancer have had inconsistent findings. Some studies have found positive associations, while others found no evidence that dietary acrylamide increases cancer risk.
– The mechanisms by which acrylamide causes cancer are not fully established, but likely involve genotoxicity due to formation of the epoxide glycidamide during metabolism of acrylamide in the body.
– The doses of acrylamide used in animal studies showing cancer effects are typically 100-1000x higher than the levels humans are exposed to through diet. When adjusted for body weight and toxicokinetics between species, human dietary intakes of acrylamide are likely substantially lower than tumorigenic doses identified in rodents.
– Authoritative food safety agencies, including the FDA and EFSA, have concluded that while the possibility of increased cancer risk from dietary acrylamide cannot be dismissed, the risk appears to be quite low based on current exposure levels. They emphasize adoption of mitigation strategies to reduce acrylamide in foods as a prudent public health measure.
So in summary, while acrylamide intakes from foods are low, the compound may pose a small cancer risk based on animal studies. Further research is still needed to clarify the dose-response relationship and mechanisms in humans. Reducing acrylamide levels through mitigation techniques is recommended to minimize any potential risks.
Major Dietary Sources of Acrylamide
Acrylamide forms in foods cooked at high temperatures (>120°C), such as frying, roasting, baking, and grilling. Major dietary sources include:
- French fries and potato chips
- Breads, crackers, biscuits, cereals
- Coffee
- Cookies, cakes, pancakes
- Toast
- Roasted asparagus, potatoes
- Processed meats
- Prunes, canned black olives
Foods made from potatoes and grains tend to be the highest dietary sources. In general, prolonged heating causes more acrylamide formation. Boiling or steaming foods does not create acrylamide.
Home cooked versions of fried and baked foods often contain less acrylamide than store-bought versions. This may be because home cooking tends to involve shorter cooking times and lower temperatures compared to industrial processing. Regardless, following recipes carefully and avoiding overcooking is a good idea when preparing known high-acrylamide foods at home.
Factors Affecting Acrylamide Formation
The amount of acrylamide produced during cooking depends on several key factors:
- Cooking temperature – Acrylamide forms in a temperature range between about 120-180°C (248-356°F). Higher temperatures result in more acrylamide.
- Cooking time – Longer cooking times increase acrylamide levels as the reaction continues over time.
- Moisture – Dry heat causes more acrylamide formation than moist heat.
- Precursors – High levels of free asparagine amino acid and reducing sugars in the raw ingredients promote acrylamide formation.
- pH – Increased alkalinity favors the acrylamide reaction.
This means that extending frying, baking, or roasting times, cooking at very high temperatures, and cooking drier foods tend to increase acrylamide levels substantially. Using refined wheat flours and sugars adds more acrylamide precursors. Proper cooking methods can significantly reduce acrylamide while still producing high quality foods.
Mitigation Strategies to Reduce Acrylamide
A variety of food processing and cooking methods have been shown to decrease acrylamide formation in starchy and protein-rich foods:
For Frying:
- Fry at lower temperatures, below 175°C/347°F if possible.
- Color of fried foods should be light gold rather than dark brown.
- Do not overload fryer baskets – acrylamide increases with overcrowding.
- Keep frying times as short as possible.
- Soak potato slices in water for 15-30 minutes before frying to remove some sugars.
For Baking:
- Avoid over-browning baked goods – aim for light golden brown color.
- Cook egg dishes like omelets just until set.
- Do not store raw potatoes in cold storage below 6°C/43°F.
- Replace fructose or glucose with sucrose where possible.
- Substitute up to 20% of wheat flour with cornstarch.
For Roasting:
- Cook to lighter color and avoid charring.
- Microwave potatoes for 2-3 minutes before roasting.
- Soak raw potato slices in diluted lemon juice or citric acid solution before roasting.
- Coat potatoes in oil before roasting to reduce dehydration.
For Coffee:
- Use Arabica beans which are lower in asparagine.
- Roast beans to lighter color.
- Use drip brewing rather than espresso methods.
Following basic principles of avoiding overcooking, using lower temperatures, and minimizing browning can go a long way to lowering acrylamide levels in home cooking as well.
Food Processing Methods to Reduce Acrylamide
In addition to adjusting cooking practices, food manufacturers and processors can implement multiple processing strategies to reduce acrylamide precursors or levels in finished products:
- Switch to potato varieties lower in sugars like glucose and asparagine amino acid.
- Store raw potatoes above 6°C/43°F to prevent cold sweetening, which increases sugars.
- Soak cut potato slices or potato flour in water before frying or baking to leach out sugars.
- Use ammonium bicarbonate or sodium pyrophosphate dipping solutions on food surfaces to minimize browning during high-heat cooking.
- Add antioxidants (citric acid, l-cysteine, ascorbic acid) to doughs to inhibit acrylamide formation.
- Replace fructose or glucose with sucrose in recipes where possible.
- Use asparaginase enzyme to reduce asparagine levels in dough ingredients prior to cooking.
- Employ finishing steps like vacuum frying or hot air puffing rather than traditional frying for snack foods like chips.
Systematic modeling of the acrylamide formation process paired with careful temperature monitoring and control during manufacturing can enable reductions as well.
Ingredients that Inhibit Acrylamide Formation
Certain food ingredients have been shown to reduce acrylamide levels when added prior to high-heat cooking:
- Organic acids – Citric, tartaric, malic, lactic and acetic acid inhibit the Maillard reaction. Citric acid is commonly used and can reduce acrylamide formation by up to 90% in some model systems.
- Amino acids – Adding free amino acids like glycine, lysine, alanine, or glutamine can significantly limit acrylamide production, likely by competing with asparagine.
- Antioxidants – Compounds like ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, α-tocopherol (vitamin E), and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) are effective antioxidants that also suppress acrylamide formation substantially.
- Calcium salts – Calcium chloride, calcium lactate, and calcium acetate have each been shown to inhibit acrylamide formation during high-heat treatments.
- Spices – Cinnamon, cloves, parsley, oregano, ginger, and garlic powder demonstrate an anti-acrylamide effect when included in recipes.
The exact mechanisms are not fully characterized, but these ingredients generally limit precursor levels, disrupt the Maillard reaction kinetics, and decrease the pH. Combinations of inhibitors tend to have enhanced effects, so utilizing a mixture of organic acids, amino acids, and antioxidants is a promising strategy.
Foods that Help Neutralize Acrylamide
While cooking methods and food processing changes can lower acrylamide levels at the source, the human diet offers certain foods that may help neutralize acrylamide in the body and reduce associated risks:
| Food | Active Compounds | Potential Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Cruciferous vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts | Glucosinolates | Increase glutathione production for antioxidant and detoxification support |
| Allium vegetables – garlic, onions, leeks, chives | Organosulfur compounds | Induce antioxidant and Phase II detoxification enzymes |
| Green tea | Polyphenols like EGCG | Scavenge reactive oxygen species, increase antioxidants |
| Beans | Polyphenols | Antioxidant and anticarcinogenic properties |
| Berries | Anthocyanins, ellagic acid | DNA protective, antitumor, antioxidant activity |
| Turmeric | Curcumin | Induces detoxifying enzymes, antioxidant |
These plant foods contain beneficial compounds that increase the body’s natural antioxidants, enhance detoxification processes, and provide antitumor effects. A diet emphasizing varieties of vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices may support the neutralization and safe elimination of acrylamide that is unavoidably ingested from certain cooked foods.
The Bottom Line
Acrylamide forms naturally in many common cooked foods during high temperature cooking, especially potato and grain products. The highest dietary exposures come from french fries, potato chips, coffee, cereals, breads, and baked goods. Animal studies show acrylamide can have toxic effects at high doses, but human dietary intakes are substantially lower than levels associated with cancer in rodents. While acrylamide may pose a small cancer risk to humans, food safety authorities say this risk appears to be quite low based on current exposure levels.
Still, it makes sense to take steps to reduce acrylamide levels in foods through careful cooking practices at home and processing adjustments by manufacturers. This includes avoiding overcooking, utilizing blanching steps, minimizing browning, controlling pH, and adding acrylamide-inhibiting ingredients. Consuming more fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices may also help neutralize acrylamide through their antioxidant effects. While acrylamide in food and potential associated risks require further study, simple mitigation approaches can help lower exposure for added safety.
Conclusion
Acrylamide forms in many common foods during high heat cooking and may have adverse health effects at high doses. However, human dietary exposures are substantially lower than concerning levels in animals. Mitigation strategies like lower cooking temperatures, shorter times, avoiding browning, use of Certain ingredients, and food processing methods can decrease acrylamide levels considerably. Emphasizing fruits, vegetables and spices helps provide antioxidants to neutralize acrylamide and support detoxification. While more research is still needed, following basic acrylamide-lowering cooking and processing practices, along with a diet high in plant foods, can help minimize potential risks.