Acrylamide exposure in workplace cafeterias: Impact of consumer choices

Eating in workplace cafeterias is a common part of the workday. While nutritional profiles of these menus are often evaluated, exposure to chemical process contaminants like acrylamide receives little attention. This study assessed acrylamide exposure from lunches in two Spanish workplace cafeterias using the duplicate diet method, considering both lower bound (LB) and upper bound (UB) scenarios. Over two weeks, 146 food items were collected from lunch menus, covering combinations of first and second courses, dessert and bread. Potato-based dishes had the highest acrylamide levels (233 μg/kg), followed by stewed lentils (150 μg/kg) and stewed salmon with vegetables (109 μg/kg), while other meals showed lower levels (16-75 μg/kg). Daily acrylamide exposure ranged between 0 and 1.04 μg/kg body weight (bw)/day for women and 0-0.85 μg/kg bw/day for men. Cafeteria-1 offered varied menu combinations, allowing zero acrylamide exposure, while cafeteria-2 had less flexibility. The margin of exposure (MOE) values for neoplastic effects varied from 1221 to 165 (LB) and from 2609 to 163 (UB), suggesting potential health concern. While workplace menus generally comply with nutritional guidelines, consumer choices critically influence acrylamide exposure. Educating consumers on safer food choices and training food handlers to reduce acrylamide in meal preparation are key to mitigating health risks.