Acrylamide in Food

Eurofins provides a current Overview on Acrylamide in Food

Since in 2002, the Swedish Authority for With Commission Recommendation

Food Safety called attention to the occur- 2013/647/EU the EU published modified
rence of acrylamide in food, it is com- Indicative Values for acrylamide in cer-
monly known that acrylamide can be tain foodstuffs, which are based on moni-
developed during thermal procedures toring results of the European Food
(baking, roasting, frying, deep-frying) Safety Authority. Such values indicate
from asparagine and reducing sugars like the need for investigations of acrylamide
fructose and glucose. levels. Besides, the German Federal
Office of Consumer Protection and Food
Within animal testing, acrylamide causes
Safety (BVL) published Signal Values for
cancer. The impact on humans has not th
additional matrices (8 Calculation, 2010).
been scientifically proven yet.
th
On 20 November 2017, the European
The EU has set Indicative Values for
Commission published Regulation (EU)
acrylamide in certain foodstuffs, which are
2017/2158 establishing mitigation
still complemented by German Signal
measures and benchmark levels for the
Values.
reduction of the presence of acrylamide
Eurofins has pioneered the routine ana- in food. The Regulation includes the obli-
lysis of acrylamide in food and is offering gation for food business operators to
the determination in all relevant matrices. apply appropriate mitigation measures for
acrylamide reduction to certain food-
Indicative & Signal Values stuffs. The aim of these measures is to
achieve levels of acrylamide as low as
So far, there are no official maximum reasonably achievable below certain
levels for acrylamide in food. Minimising Benchmark Levels. Furthermore, the
concepts are in place which pursue the Regulation lays down requirements for
step-by-step reduction of acrylamide sampling as well as performance criteria
levels following the “As Low As Reason- for the analysis of acrylamide.
ably Achievable” (ALARA) principle.
Minimising Strategies Expertise & Analysis
When exceeding Indicative or Signal Values, Ever since 2002, our experts for process con-
producers are obliged to implement measures taminants have engaged themselves in the
to minimise the acrylamide levels within their analysis of acrylamide and established efficient
products. Therefore they may use intervention and reliable LC-MS/MS methods to analyse all
steps summarised in the Acrylamide Tool Box relevant food groups. The method meets the
(FoodDrinkEurope) or the Code of Practice for requirements of the regulation (EU) 2017/2158.
Acrylamide (Codex Alimentarius), such as:
Eurofins continuously participates in interna-
• Changing basic raw materials with regard to tional proficiency testings. Due to our member-
their contents of sugar and asparagine ships in technical commitees for process con-
taminants of various institutes for standardisa-
• Changing the recipe (e.g. pH, baking agents
tion (DIN, CEN) as well as our participation in
and cations)
numerous events of European agencies and
• Change of processing (e.g. usage of aspara- institutions (EFSA, European Commission etc.),
ginase) we always have a presence in international
debates on the subject.
• Change of preparation conditions (e.g. level of
browning)

Extract of EU Indicative Values *

Indicative Values (EU) [µg/kg] Indicative Values (EU) [µg/kg]
French fries (ready-to-eat) 500 Roast coffee 400
Potato crisps from fresh potatoes and from potato dough 750 Instant (soluble) coffee 850
Potato-based crackers
Other potato products from potato dough
Soft bread Coffee substitutes
a) Wheat based bread 50 a) Coffee substitutes exclusively from cereals 500
b) Soft bread other than wheat based bread 100 b) Coffee substitutes from a mixture of cereals and chicory (²)
c) Coffee substitutes exclusively from chicory 4000
Breakfast cereals (excl. porridge) Baby foods, processed cereal based foods for infants and 40
- Bran products and whole grain cereals, gun puffed grain 300 young children excluding biscuits and rusks (³)
- Wheat and rye based products (¹) 300
- Maize, oat, spelt, barley and rice based products (¹) 150 Biscuits and rusks for infants and young children (³) 150
Biscuits and wafers 350 ¹) Non-whole grain and/or non-bran based cereals. The cereal present in
Crackers with the exception of potato based crackers 400 the largest quantity determines the category.
Crispbread 350 ²) The benchmark level to be applied to coffee substitutes from a mixture of
Ginger bread 800 cereals and chicory takes into account the relative proportion of these
Products similar to the other products in this category 300 ingredients in the final product.
³) As defined in Regulation (EU) No 609/2013.

20GMJ605
* For more details see EU Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2158

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