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.
The acrylamide contents in all bread types were aligned from high to low as whole wheat bread (479 ± 325 μg kg−1) > rye bread (432 ± 214 μg kg−1) > wheat bran bread (307 ± 258 μg kg−1) > stone oven wheat bread (171 ± 184 μg kg−1) > whole grain bread (151 ± 211 μg kg−1) > white wheat bread (121 ± 103 μg kg−1) > other ...
Bakery products (bread, crispbread, cakes, batter, breakfast cereals, biscuits, pies, etc.) are some of the major sources of dietary acrylamide.
It gives a sourdough loaf its beautiful colour, flavour and texture. However, the Maillard reaction also produces acrylamide and laboratory studies have shown acrylamide to be a potential carcinogen.
What is acrylamide? Acrylamide is a chemical that's found in starchy foods like bread and potatoes, if they're cooked at high temperatures for a long time. This includes baking, barbequing, frying, grilling, toasting, or roasting.
Baking at a lower temperature for a longer time, but to the same final moisture content has been effective in lowering acrylamide in some products. The product will inevitably have a less dark, less 'baked' colour. product as this could lead to microbiological problems on storage.
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.”
Acrylamide is found mainly in foods made from plants, such as potato products, grain products, or coffee. Acrylamide does not form, or forms at lower levels, in dairy, meat, and fish products.
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.
In addition to potato-containing foods, much of our dietary exposure to acrylamide comes from cereal-based foods such as breads, bagels, and breakfast cereals, as well as from coffee and coffee products.
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.
The major food sources of acrylamide are French fries and potato chips; crackers, bread, and cookies; breakfast cereals; canned black olives; prune juice; and coffee.
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.
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.
Its presence in food was first discovered in 2002, and now it is well established that acrylamide is found in potato products, cereal foods (including bread and baked products), and coffee. This book is about bread making.
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.
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.
It's most likely to be found in grains, potatoes or coffee heated to high temperatures. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cites these food sources as having the highest levels of acrylamide when heated to high temperatures: French fries.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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 ...