The microbial approach for mitigation of acrylamide in processed foods: A critical review

Acrylamide is a surging food safety concern due to its genotoxicity in humans. Numerous efforts have been made to mitigate acrylamide using various conventional and emerging technologies. However, these methods either imparted unacceptable sensory attributes or could not substantially mitigate acrylamide. Recently, microorganisms and their enzymes, have been explored as a safer approach; therefore, this review rationalizes the microbial approach for product-specific acrylamide mitigation strategies. The literature demonstrated acrylamide mitigations in starchy foods by yeast (33-85 %), bacteria (22-86.92 %) and enzymes (25-100 %). The acrylamide mitigation potential of these biological agents was found to depend on factors including strain types, load, incubation duration, pH, and nutrient availability in raw materials. Besides, the current review delved into the mechanisms of microorganisms and enzymes thereof for detoxification of acrylamide. Further, it sheds light on the regulatory approaches like 'Qualified Presumption of Safety' (QPS) for the evaluation of microorganisms and enzymes used for acrylamide mitigation.