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Review
. 2022 Apr 13;70(14):4165-4181.
doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c07249. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Acrylamide in Corn-Based Thermally Processed Foods: A Review

Slađana Žilić  1 , Valentina Nikolić  1 , Burçe Ataç Mogol  2 , Aytül Hamzalıoğlu  2 , Neslihan Göncüoğlu Taş  2 , Tolgahan Kocadağlı  2 , Marijana Simić  1 , Vural Gökmen  2
Affiliations
Review

Acrylamide in Corn-Based Thermally Processed Foods: A Review

Slađana Žilić et al. J Agric Food Chem. .

Abstract

Widely consumed thermally processed corn-based foods can have a great contribution to acrylamide dietary intake, thus bearing a high public health risk and requiring attention and application of strategies for its reduction. This paper reviews the literature on the acrylamide content of corn-based food products present in the market around the world. The potential of corn for acrylamide formation due to its content of free asparagine and reducing sugars is described. Human exposure to acrylamide from corn-based foods is also discussed. The content of acrylamide in corn/tortilla chips, popcorn, and corn flakes, as widely consumed products all over the world, is reported in the literature to be between 5 and 6360 μg/kg, between <LOD and 2220 μg/kg and between <LOD and 1186 μg/kg, respectively. Although these products are important acrylamide sources in the common diet of all age populations, higher intake values occurred among younger generations.

Keywords: acylamide; asparagine; benchmark levels; corn-based foods; reducing sugars; thermal processing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Worldwide production, in 2019/2020, (a) of cereals by type (million tonnes and % of total cereal production) and (b) of corn by country (million tonnes and % of total corn production).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Worldwide consumption of cereals and corn: (a) Consumption of corn by country in 2019/2020 (million tonnes); (b) consumption of corn by usage area (million tonnes); (c) consumption of cereals as food in 2000 (kg/person/year); (d) consumption of corn as food in 2020 by region (% of total corn production in particular regions).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Worldwide consumption of cereals per capita in 2000 (a) as protein (g/person/day) and (b) as energy (kcal/person/day).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Major unit operations in corn processing and the corn-based food products thereof.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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