What is acrylamide-how does it form?

Acrylamide is a chemical substance that is used to produce polyacrylamide which is useful for processing industrial waste water and drinking water. In fact toxic effects of acrylamide and its carcinogen potential is known for years. But the fact that it also forms as a result of heat treatment of foods was understood at the beginning of year 2002. Acrylamide forms at temperatures over 120ºC especially in fried, roasted, grilled or baked food. On the contrary, acrylamide is not seen in boiled food. It is proved that as a result of high temperature reactions of some sugar and proteins that naturally exist in the food, acrylamide may form.

Studies demonstrate that also the fat found in the conformation of the food may be responsible for acrylamide formation. But, since the formation of acrylamide is still unclear, determining the methodology to prevent this is impossible at the moment. For that reason, before predicting an alteration in food production methods, acrylamide formation mechanism in different types of food should be completely understood. Studies so far indicate that the cancer risk caused by acrylamide should be considered but also show that it is early to make a statement such as "acrylamide amount that forms in comestibles increases risk for cancer". Because limitation values related to the amount of acrylamide causing risk and the level below which acrylamide amount should be are unclear. For this reason, studies are going on in order to determine the risk correctly in a scientific scale and to define the limitation values of comestibles.

 

Last Updated: 07.08.2009