Acrylamide in food: a review

Acrylamide is an organic compound that exists in two forms of monomer and polymer in various food products. This chemical substance used mainly in certain industrial processes, such as in making paper, dyes, and plastics, and in treating drinking water and wastewater. In April 2002, researchers from the University of Stockholm and the Swedish National Food Administration (NFA) reported the presence of acrylamide (2-propenamide) in a wide range of fried and oven cooked foods. It was reported that acrylamide occurs above 120 °C during the browning process named with Maillard reaction whichinvolves the reaction of a specific amino acid with a reducing sugar. From foodstuffs exposed to the production of this substance can be cited to potato chips, coffee, fried or cooked meat products, cookies, cereals, hamburger, bread etc. This substance decomposes in the body and produces a substance that is called amidglycide, with effect on DNA and mutations in genes cause cancer and damage on the nervous system. The International Agency for Research on Cancer and the European Union have classified acrylamide as carcinogen. From the researches available so far, it seems thatacrylamide induces nerve terminal damage, increasesthe production of reactive oxygen radicals by leukocytes and increases plasma C-reactive protein, has a toxic effect on male reproduction, decreases level of dopamine, is genotoxic and carcinogenic. The primary sites of acrylamide action is nerve terminals and acrylamide neurotoxicity is mediated by distal axon degeneration. The purpose of thispaper is to review the studies on acrylamide- infected food and its harmful effects on health, especially cancer

Keywords:

Cancer Diagnosis , Cancer Prevention , Cancer Risks , Lifestyle and Cancer , Nutrition and Cancer