Acrylamide is a synthetic monomer with a wide scope of industrial applications, mainly as a precursor in the production of several polymers, such as polyacrylamide. The main uses of polyacrylamides are in water and wastewater treatment processes, pulp and paper processing, and mining and mineral processing. The announcement by the Swedish National Food Administration in April 2002 of the presence of acrylamide predominantly in heat-treated carbohydrate-rich foods sparked intensive investigations into acrylamide, encompassing the occurrence, chemistry, agricultural practices, and toxicology, in order to establish if there is a potential risk to human health from the presence of this contaminant in the human diet. The link of acrylamide in foods to the Maillard reaction and, in particular, to the amino acid asparagine has been a major step forward in elucidating the first feasible chemical route of formation during the preparation and processing of food. Other probably minor pathways have also been proposed, including acrolein and acrylic acid. This review addresses the analytical and mechanistic aspects of the acrylamide issue and summarizes the progress made to date by the European food industries in these key areas. Essentially, it presents experimental results generated under laboratory model conditions, as well as under actual food processing conditions covering different food categories, such as potatoes, biscuits, cereals, and coffee. Since acrylamide formation is closely linked to food composition, factors such as the presence of sugars and availability of free amino acids are also considered. Many new findings that contribute towards a better understanding of the formation and presence of acrylamide in foods are presented. Many national authorities across the world are assessing the dietary exposure of consumers to acrylamide, and scientific projects have commenced to gather new information about the toxicology of acrylamide. These are expected to provide new scientific knowledge that will help to clarify whether or not there is a risk to human health from the consumption of foods containing low amounts of acrylamide.

Within this research project, the LCI (Lebensmittelchemisches Institut des Bundesverbandes der Deutschen Süßwarenindustrie e. V.) conducted systematic studies to determine the thermal stability of the mycotoxins ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxin B1, as the available literature provides contradictory data. Firstly, the said mycotoxins in pure form were subjected to thermal treament. Secondly, tests were conducted to determine the influence of certain matrix substances, including carbohydrates and proteins, on the thermal decomposition behaviour of the mycotoxins. As a result it can be said that OTA seems to be stable up to 180 °C; however aflatoxin B1 was almost completely degraded at heating temperatures of 160 °C and above. In several model assays it could further be shown that the degradation of mycotoxins is improved by the existence of certain matrix compounds.

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Titanium dioxide is a white colourant authorised as food additive E171 in the EU and is applied in a range of food products. Currently the EU specifications for E171 do not refer to the characterisation of particle size distribution; however, this may be requested in the near future. Only a few studies have been published to date reporting data on the size distribution of food grade titanium dioxide. The aim of this study was to characterise the size distribution of titanium dioxide particles contained in eight confectionery products and the pristine titanium dioxide samples used in each of the products. This allowed the direct comparison of the particle size distribution in both the pristine and the extracted materials. By using various analytical techniques, such as transmission electron microscopy, single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (sp-ICPMS) and centrifuge liquid sedimentation (CLS) for the characterisation and quantification of the titanium dioxide particle sizes, the impact of the instrumentation on the results was systematically studied. The volume-specific surface area (VSSA) and crystalline structure were also determined for all additives.

According to German food guidelines, almonds are the only oilseed ingredient allowed for the production of marzipan. Persipan is a marzipan surrogate in which the almonds are replaced by apricot or peach kernels. Cross-contamination of marzipan products with persipan may occur if both products are produced using the same production line. Adulterations or dilutions, respectively, of marzipan with other plant-derived products, for example, lupine or pea, have also been found. Almond and apricot plants are closely related. Consequently, classical analytical methods for the identification/differentiation often fail or are not sensitive enough to quantify apricot concentrations below 1%. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods have been shown to enable the differentiation of closely related plant species in the past. These methods are characterized by high specificity and low detection limits. Isolation methods were developed and evaluated especially with respect to the matrix marzipan in terms of yield, purity, integrity, and amplificability of the isolated DNA. For the reliable detection of apricot, peach, pea, bean, lupine, soy, cashew, pistachio, and chickpea, qualitative standard and duplex PCR methods were developed and established. The applicability of these methods was tested by cross-reaction studies and analysis of spiked raw pastes. Contaminations at the level of 0.1% could be detected.

AbstractmOrganic substances containing nitrogen are widespread throughout the whole of the natural world. Also included amongst these are the methylxanthine derivatives caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. These are very closely related and are to be found in extremely varying contents in different plants. Because of their pharmacological effect, which is fundamentally of a stimulative nature, methylxanthines have been significant since time immemorial as luxury, non-essential foodstuffs and as medication. These substances are often referred to as alkaloids. Theobromine is the major alkaloid in cacao (Theobroma cacao). Caffeine, on the other hand, is only to be found in cacao in very small quantities and theophylline only in trace amounts. Methylxanthines are said to contribute towards the typically bitter taste of cacao. In addition they represent important analytical parameters with regard to the evaluation of the quality of cacaocontaining and chocolate products. The amount of methylxanthines in cacao depends on various influencing factors, the most essential ones being processing procedures, genotype, geographical origin and cacao bean weight. By determining the amount of theobromine and caffeine in cacao and/or cacao products, the amount of fat-free dry cacao can also be estimated. There are various methods available for the detection and determination of methylxanthines. UV-spectrophotometric determination and analysis using HPLC have attained major significance here. With regard to human nutrition, cacao and cacao products are the main natural sources of theobromine, but significantly less so with regard to caffeine. The presence of methylxanthines in cacao products leads to that they are sometimes the subject of consumer criticism, particularly because they are considered as luxury foodstuffs. The concluding evaluation of methylxanthines by dieticians and toxicologists reveals that plants that contain methylxanthines have been consumed for as long as can be remembered without having led to damage to health. Scientific research has shown that the consumption of these substances has no consequence whatsoever, as long as consumption is not excessive, which is the case for all foodstuffs. Methylxanthines in cacao products have no negative effects on the health of humans because their amounts in chocolates and other processed foodstuffs containing cacao are so low that they account for only a very small proportion of the whole of the human diet.

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Marzipan or marzipan raw paste is a typical German sweet which is consumed directly or is used as an ingredient in the bakery industry/confectionery (e.g., in stollen) and as filling for chocolate candies. Almonds (blanched and pealed) and sugar are the only ingredients for marzipan production according to German food guidelines. Especially for the confectionery industry, the use of persipan, which contains apricot or peach kernels instead of almonds, is preferred due to its stronger aroma. In most of the companies, both raw pastes are produced, in most cases on the same production line, running the risk of an unintended cross contamination. Additionally, due to high almond market values, dilutions of marzipan with cheaper seeds may occur. Especially in the case of apricot and almond, the close relationship of both species is a challenge for the analysis. DNA based methods for the qualitative detection of apricot, peach, pea, bean, lupine, soy, cashew, pistachio, and chickpea in marzipan have recently been published. In this study, different quantitation strategies on the basis of real-time PCR have been evaluated and a relative quantitation method with a reference amplification product was shown to give the best results. As the real-time PCR is based on the high copy rDNA-cluster, even contaminations <1% can be reliably quantitated.