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Formation of acrylamide from lipids
Stefan Ehling1, Matt Hengel, Takayuki Shibamoto
1Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California Davis, One Shield Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA. sehling@ucdavis.edu
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|January 28, 2006
Summary
Dietary oils and animal fats heated with amino acids like asparagine produce acrylamide. Higher fat unsaturation leads to more acrylamide formation, particularly during deep-fat frying.
Area of Science:
- Food Chemistry
- Toxicology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Acrylamide is a food processing contaminant with potential health risks.
- Its formation is often linked to high-temperature cooking methods involving carbohydrates and amino acids.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate acrylamide formation when heating amino acids with dietary oils and animal fats.
- To determine the relationship between fat saturation and acrylamide levels.
Main Methods:
- Amino acids, specifically asparagine, were heated with various dietary oils and animal fats at elevated temperatures.
- Acrylamide formation was quantified using analytical chemistry techniques.
Main Results:
- Acrylamide was formed in varying amounts, correlating with the degree of unsaturation of the lipids.
- Sardine oil and cod liver oil yielded the highest acrylamide levels with asparagine.
- Oxidation products of lipids, like acrylic acid and acrolein, also produced acrylamide with asparagine.
Conclusions:
- Acrylamide can form in asparagine-rich foods during deep-fat frying, even without reducing sugars.
- Lipid unsaturation is a key factor influencing acrylamide generation in such conditions.