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Mechanism of the Formation of Acrylamide in Cooked Foods & Factors Affecting its Formation During Processing/Cooking

Project Code: C03031

05/11/2010

University of Leeds
Koutsidis, G ;
University of Reading
Mottram, D;
University of Nottingham
Channell, G; Taylor, A

This project also encompasses project codes C03047 and C03048.

It is now well established that acrylamide is present in plant foods that have been subjected to intense heat, e.g., when they are baked, fried, roasted or toasted. Whereas the chemical itself is toxic to humans, there is no consistent evidence that the levels present in foods actually cause us harm. Nevertheless, good manufacturing practice demands that steps are taken to minimise the amounts which are present in manufactured food, and in food prepared at home.

The approach taken was to determine the relevant relationships between chemical composition with regard to amino acids, sugars, chemical reaction intermediates (carbonyl compounds), and additives (e.g., ammonium bicarbonate and calcium ions), and the amounts of acrylamide and flavour volatiles (pyrazines) formed under different conditions (e.g., temperature, moisture) in model systems, and then to test this knowledge using foods to validate the relationships. Model systems are aimed to mimic the essential behaviour of foods with regard to the processes in question, without the complicating features which come from the diverse composition of actual foods. In the present study the model system consisted of a “matrix” of waxy maize starch. The output from this approach is a kinetic model and a series of parameters (the rate constants) which allow the model to be used to predict the outcome (acrylamide levels) in new situations.

Final report

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