The Risk of Acrylamide Intake from Roasted Arabica Coffee (Pure, Torrefacto and Soluble) Consumed in Costa Rica

Area of Science:

• Food Chemistry and Toxicology
• Risk Assessment
• Public Health

Background:

• Acrylamide (AA) is a food contaminant with known carcinogenic and genotoxic properties.
• Heat-processed foods, including coffee, can contain significant levels of AA.
• Assessing AA exposure from coffee consumption is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify acrylamide (AA) levels in commercially available coffee products in Costa Rica.
• To develop a probabilistic exposure assessment model for coffee consumption.
• To evaluate the potential human health risks, including neurotoxicity and carcinogenicity, associated with AA intake from coffee.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed 110 coffee samples from Costa Rican retail markets for AA concentration.
• Employed a middle-bound (MB) approach for dietary exposure (DE) assessment.
• Calculated Margin of Exposure (MOE) and Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) using EFSA (2015) guidelines.

Main Results:

• Average AA concentration in coffee samples was 110.29 ± 151.61 µg kg⁻¹.
• Mean DE values ranged from 0.025 to 0.083 µg kg⁻¹ BW per day.
• MOE values indicated no neurotoxicity risk but suggested a potential carcinogenic risk for all consumer groups (adults and minors).

Conclusions:

• Coffee consumption in Costa Rica presents a potential carcinogenic risk due to acrylamide (AA) intake.
• While no neurotoxicity risk was identified, the observed MOE and ILCR values highlight a public health concern.
• Further research and potential mitigation strategies regarding AA levels in coffee are warranted.