Acrylamide in Potato Chips, Its Formation, Reduction and Identification: a Review

Acrylamide is a chemical compound that can be produced at high levels in carbohydrate and aspargine rich foods when treated at high temperatures. The risks of acrylamide to health and its toxic properties (neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity) were demonstrated by the Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment in 2001. Potato and bakery products account for around 50% and 20% of human exposure to acrylamide, respectively. Factors affecting acrylamide formation and degradation in foods are acrylamide precursors such as free amino acids (mainly asparagine), reducing sugars and processing conditions (i.e. baking time and temperature, moisture content of product). The aim of this article is to aware people and makes them familiarize with detoxifying methods to reduce the level of acrylamide in products.