Potential relationship between lipid oxidation and acrylamide formation: A review on control of acrylamide in foods

Abstract

Acrylamide (ACR) is a potential carcinogen commonly found in foods processed at high-temperature conditions, especially fried and baked products. Traditionally, the formation of ACR has been mainly attributed to the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction that occurs between amino acids and reducing sugars at high temperatures. However, recent studies have shown that lipid oxidation products, such as acrolein, can also significantly promote the formation of ACR. Reactive compounds produced during lipid oxidation, such as free radicals, aldehydes, and peroxides, can accelerate ACR formation, particularly when using vegetable oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Although measures such as adjusting cooking temperatures and times have been implemented to reduce ACR formation, their effectiveness remains limited, especially in certain high oil-content foods. The reason for this may be that the role of lipid oxidation products in forming ACR has not received enough attention to date. Undeniably, potential mechanism is further demanded to investigate the synergistic effect between lipid oxidation products and the Maillard reaction, which could develop new food processing technologies to reduce ACR formation effectively, in order to improve food safety.