Cereal grain with low acrylamide formation potential as a raw material for safer cereal-based food products in Serbia

The presence of acrylamide, a mutagen and a Group 2A carcinogen, in food, is a health concern that might raise cancer risk. Acrylamide is mainly formed in the Maillard reaction between free asparagine and reducing sugars, during industrial thermal food processing or home cooking, at a temperature over 120°C. The European Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2158 established mitigation measures and benchmarks for acrylamide levels in some food categories, which were incorporated into the Serbian regulation. Research shows that cereal-based products may bring about 20-60% of acrylamide intake. In Serbia, there are no guidelines for the cultivation of cereals with a reduced potential for acrylamide formation. Knowing that the amount of free asparagine is proportional to the formation of acrylamide in the majority of food products, one of the key approaches is to select the ingredients with a lower level of asparagine. Studies indicate that applying foliar fertilizers with increased sulfur content in some cereals influences the decrease of free asparagine synthesis in grain, lowering the acrylamide potential in cereal-based foods. Furthermore, the choice of the appropriate raw material and production parameters can significantly influence the formation of acrylamide in food products. This review aims to provide insight into current strategies for the mitigation of acrylamide in cereal-based foods, as the status of acrylamide in Serbian regulations.