Acrylamide-free: Does it exist?

“The presence of acrylamide in some oven-cooked, grilled and fried starchy foods was discovered in 2002. Since then the food industry, regulatory bodies and research groups have successfully worked together to devise strategies to reduce acrylamide levels in these foods,” he said.

Most manufactures use the process of reducing sugars in potato snacks to reduce levels of acrylamide levels, which can be done through a variety of ways including using sprout suppressants, such as chlorpropham, to prevent sweetening during storage.

This is because acrylamide is formed during the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction between reducing sugars and amino acids which gives cooked food its brown colour, which needs sugars and asparagine present.

“Manufacturers are moving towards varieties which are lower in acrylamide precursors, although only if they give a product as good or better in quality. Reductions in cooking conditions can be clearly seen in the popular varieties of crisps, which are obviously paler in colour than their equivalents 15 years ago,” Dr Elmore said.

As stated in industry trade group FoodDrinkEurope’s ‘Acrylamide Toolbox’, reducing sugars in raw foods is the primary measure for manufacturers as other processes can have adverse effects.

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Food Labelling Services comments:

To label a product as 'xxxfree' will be perceived by the consumer as the same meaning as 'Free from'. To claim free from on a label, the manufacturer has to ensure that there is no ris kfrom adventitious contamination in the food supply chain, and ideally will have some analytical tests to prove that the product is free from whatever they are claiming. Ideally a test to monitor acrylamide will be developed, and standards set to define what 'free from acrylamide' means.