The U.S. Food and Drug Administration monitors acrylamide levels in certain foods, and amounts in peanuts and peanut products are low or undetectable. If present, acrylamide naturally forms when peanuts are roasted; it is not added to peanut butter by manufacturers.
Acrylamide is ubiquitous in the human diet, and more than one-third of the calories we take in each day come from foods with detectable levels of acrylamide (5). The highest levels appear in fried and roasted potato products and in cereal products such as breads, crackers, and breakfast cereals (Table 1).
Acrylamide forms from sugars and an amino acid that are naturally present in food. It does not form, or forms at lower levels, in dairy, meat and fish products.
Acrylamide does not form, or forms at lower levels, in dairy, meat, and fish products.
The highest concentration of acrylamide was determined in almonds (273 ng mL-1), the lowest in peanuts (60.5 ng mL-1) under different roasting conditions.
Oats have the second highest acrylamide forming potential of rye, wheat, barley and oats. Several studies have found high levels of acrylamide in oat products that exceed the benchmark limits within the EU.
The US National Toxicology Program (NTP) has classified acrylamide as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies acrylamide as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.”
The formation of acrylamide in both banana varieties was enhanced with an increase in both reducing sugars (glucose and fructose). This research demonstrated that the formation of acrylamide was strongly dependent on the concentration of, both glucose and fructose.
Acrylamide in oil
Acrylamide is not found in cooking oil but if starchy food like potatoes are fried in oil and that oil is reused, then acrylamide levels can build up.
Cooking with water (such as simmering, steaming and boiling) will not reach a temperature above 120°C and acrylamide is not formed during these cooking methods. Using microwave oven will also reduce acrylamide formation.
If acrylamide enters soil or water, it will be broken down quickly by bacteria.
Evaluation of the acrylamide content levels in end-consumer cocoa and chocolate products revealed that 57% of the examined samples contained acrylamide levels above the limit of quantification. The range of acrylamide content levels determined came to between < LOQ and 400 µg kg−1.
All types of coffee containing roasted beans contain some acrylamide. Coffee substitutes, such as cereal and chicory root coffees, also contain acrylamide if they have undergone a roasting process. The only type of coffee that does not contain acrylamide is that which contains unroasted, or green, coffee beans.
Bread often contains what may be considered to be low amounts of acrylamide. However, due to its high consumption rate, its contribution to dietary exposure is still considerable.
Use the lowest oven temperature possible for the food. Baking foods to a golden yellow, or lighter colour, and at lower oven temperatures will reduce acrylamide levels. When cooking foods such as toast and toasted sandwiches do not over-toast or burn.
The contents of acrylamide in breads ranged from below the limit of quantification to 695 μg kg−1 and the mean acrylamide content was 225 μg kg−1. The highest mean level of acrylamide was detected in whole wheat bread.
The most important sources of acrylamide for adults include coffee, casseroles containing starch (potato or pasta) as well as rye bread, and for children casseroles, cookies, crisps and other baked potatoes. This is due to the high amounts in which they are consumed.
As shown in this table the mean content of acrylamide in roasted almonds, pistachios, peanuts, seeds and hazelnuts was 176.88, 144.55, 130.98, 108.34 and 90.61 µg/kg respectively.
“Acrylamide forms when foods like potatoes and cereals become crispy and brown. It even forms in roasted coffee beans.” That means acrylamide is in the crunch of potato chips, the crispy edges of French fries, and in toasted snacks and rich roasted coffees.
High levels of acrylamide were found in these food items: up to 327 µg/kg for sweet potato baked at 190 °C for 14 min, and 99 µg/kg for carrot baked at 190 °C for 13 min.
The overall value of acrylamide concentration in popcorns was calculated to be 459.6 ± 220.3 μg/kg. This amount is high and requires measures to reduce the amount of acrylamide.
As mentioned, when starchy, carbohydrate-based foods such as potatoes, wheat, rice and other grains are heated above 120 °C (by frying, baking, roasting or toasting, for example), the naturally occurring amino acid asparagine reacts with sugars to form acrylamide.
Histopathological evidence of acrylamide-induced peripheral neuropathy has been observed in rats receiving oral doses as low as 1 mg/kg/day for 3 months; the observed degenerative effects in peripheral nerve fibers at such dose levels have been shown to be completely reversible within a few months following the ...