Mitigation of acrylamide formation in highly consumed foods

Acrylamide (AA) (CAS number 79-06-1) (CH2=CH–CO–NH2), a white, odorless, toxic crystalline compound is produced mainly for the synthesis of nontoxic polyacrylamide, which is used as a flocculent in water treatment, and as a binder in pulp and paper processing. AA affects the nervous system even at low levels, causing hallucinations and drowsiness (IARC 1994). Human health effects associated with consumption of small amounts of AA over long periods of time are not known (Bent et al. 2012). AA vapors irritate the eyes and skin and cause paralysis of the cerebrospinal system (Kotsiou et al. 2011). Chronic exposure results in neurotoxicity in animals and humans, and AA has been found to be carcinogenic to laboratory animals. As a result, AA has been classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2A) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC 1994).