Acrylamide in bread: a review on formation, health risk assessment, and determination by analytical techniques

Acrylamide is a water-soluble toxicant found in high-protein and carbohydrate-containing foods exposed to high temperature like bread as the staple foodstuff. This toxicant is mainly formed via Maillard reaction. The potential adverse effects of acrylamide especially possible carcinogenicity in human through dietary exposure necessitate its monitoring. Regarding the existence of its precursors in wheat bread formulation as well as extreme consumption of bread by most population and diversity of bread types, its acrylamide level needs to be investigated. The indicative value for acrylamide in wheat bread is set at 80 mu g/kg. Consequently, its determination using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), or capillary electrophoresis can be helpful considering both the risk assessment and quality control aspects. In this respect, methods based on LC-MS/MS show good recovery and within laboratory repeatability with a limit of detection of 3-20 mu g/kg and limit of quantification of 10-50 mu g/kg which is suitable for the immediate requirements for food product monitoring and calculation of consumer exposure.

Automated summary

Acrylamide is a water-soluble toxicant found in high-protein and carbohydrate-containing foods exposed to high temperature like bread, with potential adverse effects including possible carcinogenicity in humans. Monitoring and investigation of acrylamide levels in wheat bread, which is widely consumed, is necessary. Techniques like LC-MS/MS and GC-MS can provide accurate determination of acrylamide levels, aiding in risk assessment and quality control.