Acrylamide is a white crystalline chemical. It is the raw material for the production of polyacrylamide. Polyacrylamide is mainly used for water purification treatment, the pulp processing and coating pipes. Starchy foods are prone to generate acrylamide at high temperature (> 120 ℃) .
Studies have shown that human body can have access to acrylamide through a variety of ways such as digestive tract, respiratory tract and skin mucous membranes. Drinking water is a very important route.
In April 2002, the Swedish National Food Administration and Stockholm University researchers first reported the detection of acrylamide in some fried and grilled starchy foods, such as french fries, potato chips and the like. The content exceeds 500 times of the maximum limit allowable in drinking water. Later, Norway, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the United States have also reported similar results.
Acrylamide is mainly formed in the cooking of high-carbohydrate, low-protein plant foods at a temperature above 120℃. 140-180 ℃ is the optimum temperature for the generation of acrylamide. While before food processing, acrylamide can not be detected. At lower processing temperature, the content of acrylamide is relatively low. The water content is also an important factor affecting its formation, especially for baked, fried foods. At the final stage when the water is reduced and the surface temperature is increased, the content of acrylamide is the highest. But coffee is an exception. The main precursors of acrylamide are free aspartic acid (the representative amino acid in potatoes and cereals) and reducing sugars. The two generate Maillard reaction and produce acrylamide. The acrylamide formed in food is relatively stable. But for coffee, the content of acrylamide will be lowered as the storage is prolonged.
