How Far is the Spanish Snack Sector from Meeting the Acrylamide Regulation 2017/2158?

Abstract

In 2017, the European Commission published Regulation 2017/2158 establishing mitigation measures and benchmark levels to reduce acrylamide in foods. Acrylamide was determined in seventy potato crisp samples commercialized in Spain. The aim was to update knowledge about the global situation in the snack sector and evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation strategies applied, especially since the publication of the Regulation. Results were compared with data previously published in 2004, 2008, and 2014, assessing the evolution over recent years. Average acrylamide content in 2019 (664 µg/kg, range 89–1930 μg/kg) was 55.3% lower compared to 2004, 10.3% lower compared to 2008 and practically similar to results from 2014. Results support the effectiveness of mitigation measures implemented by Spanish potato crisp manufacturers. However, 27% of samples exhibited concentrations above the benchmark level established in the Regulation (750 μg/kg), which suggests that efforts to reduce acrylamide formation in this sector must be continued. Besides the variability seen between samples, acrylamide significantly correlated with the color parameter a*, which enables discrimination of whether potato crisps contain above or below benchmark content. The calculated margin of exposure for carcinogenicity was below the safety limit, which should be considered from a public health point of view.

Assessment of acrylamide in potato chips and French fries consumed by the Romanian population

“…Mesias et al. (2020) analyzed 70 samples of PC commercialized in Spain and also reported higher values of AA, ranging between LOQ and 1930 µg/kg, with a mean content of 644 ± 387 µg/kg. The results were a little higher than the ones previously found in 2014 for PC by the same research team who reported an average AA level of 630 ± 412 µg/kg (Mesias & Morales, 2015).…”

Acrylamide Exposure from Common Culinary Preparations in Spain, in Household, Catering and Industrial Settings

“…This period was characterised by falls not only in the maximum values of acrylamide, but also in the percentage of samples exceeding the reference value for this food (750 µg/kg). This reduction in acrylamide levels in crisps appears to be due to stricter attention to the temperature and duration of the cooking, blanching before frying (the removal of sugars and other soluble metabolites in hot water), vacuum frying, the control of moisture levels in the final product, the selection of appropriate varieties of fresh potatoes, according to their end use, and the careful control of the storage temperature and conditions of the fresh materials, as well as post-frying quality control by reference to the colour of the food [ 42 ]. All of these mitigation measures, together with other recommendations for the food production sector, are compiled and described in the Acrylamide Toolbox [ 6 ].…”

Efficient optimization and development of two methods for the determination of acrylamide in deep‐frying oil by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry: Application of multifactor analysis assessment strategy

“…As one of the most concerning food pollutants at present, acrylamide is a low molecular weight compound with high polarity and hydrophilicity [1]. Since the discovery of acrylamide in food, many countries have explored strategies for reducing acrylamide in food products [2–5]. The main formation procedure of acrylamide during the thermal processing of foods is the Maillard reaction [3, 6, 7].…”