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Acrylamide: A Hidden Danger

Acrylamide, which is known to exist in a range of foodstuffs at different rates is a heat treatment contaminant and has been labeled by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a probable carcinogenic substance for humans. Acrylamide is readily absorbed by the body and it spreads to the tissues. The fact that acrylamide is highly prone to react with DNA and RNA has brought forward various health problems as well. Many studies have proved the relation between acrylamide and diseases related to the nervous system, notably cancer. The most important mechanism in the formation of acrylamide in foodstuffs is the Maillard reaction. The level of acrylamide in foodstuffs shows an increase in high temperatures especially in the presence of reducing sugar and asparagine amino acid. However, no legal legislation has yet been defined on the level of acrylamide in foodstuffs.


Introduction
Acrylamide (AA) is a compound in the amide group which is also known to be called acrylic acid amide, 2-propenamide, acrylamide monomer and propionic acid amide. The AA substance which is frequently used in the textile sector, dam and tunnel construction and the paper industry, is currently classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group ''2A'' probable carcinogenic substance. On the other hand, the presence of AA in foodstuffs was first demonstrated in 2002 by a group of scientists in Sweden. A great number of different foodstuffs that we consume habitually in our daily lives are known to contain the AA substance at different rates which is why it causes lifelong exposure in humans due to nutrition requirements. Therefore, AA has gained prominence in the world of science recently.

The Toxicokinetic Character of Acrylamide
Since AA is readily soluble in water, it is can be rapidly absorbed completely. In their study involving human subjects, (Fennel et al., 2005) detected 34 % of AA in urine metabolites in 24 hours. Similarly, (Fuhr et al., 2006) detected 60% of AA in urinary metabolites in 72 hours.
AA is subject to spreading rapidly in tissues no matter how the exposure happens, whether orally or dermally. An experiment on laboratory animals conducted by  presented that AA, after being administered orally, was efficiently absorbed by the stomach and spread to the other tissues, and pass to the placenta rapidly. Another study by  showed that acrylamide in mice was found mostly in blood, skin, spleen and lungs.
According to a study conducted on laboratory animals by , it was measured that 44% of AA was removed by urine in mice and 51% was removed in rats. Studies conducted on volunteer human subjects showed that AA elimination rate from the body was lower compared to animals .

Acrylamide and Health
The presence of AA in foodstuffs and its widespread use in the industry has called for the need of research related to health issues. Therefore, a great number of studies have been carried out on dietary AA intake and its relation with various diseases.
There is, however, no absolute consensus on the existence of the relationship between dietary AA intake and cancer. No meaningful correlation was detected between dietary AA intake and cancer types around the reproductive area , the respiratory area , the urinary area (Larsson et al., 2009; and the gastrointestinal area . However, some scientists have represented the positive correlation between AA and various types of cancer . Besides, it has been expressed that AA exposure may have an effect on the peripheral, central and autonomic nervous system of human beings and trigger muscle weakness and numbness in hands, feet, legs and arms  1 .

Foods and Acrylamide
In spite of the fact that AA formation in foodstuffs still continue to bear uncertainties, some specific mechanisms have been proposed in this context. Among these mechanisms, the Maillard reaction is regarded as the basic mechanism. Other than that, some studies have shown that acrolein, aspartic acid, carnosine, B-alanine and pyruvic acid conjugates to acrylic acid and then to AA in various reactions .
Lots of institutions and researchers have focused on research aimed at determining the content of acrylamide in various foodstuffs soon after it became evident that acrylamide was formed in foodstuffs in certain conditions. The AA content in foodstuffs can range from μg/kg (ppb) levels to mg/kg (ppm) levels depending on many variables such as the type and content of the food, processing technique and storage conditions. Studies that have been conducted so far have built consensus on the fact that AA is found with a strikingly high content in fried potatoes, potato chips, bread, biscuits, cereals, infant formula and coffee (EFSA, 2015).

Legal Limitations on Acrylamide
According to EU Commission Regulations, it is allowed to establish maximum tolerances for pollutants and natural plant toxins when necessary in order to protect public health. However, no regulations have been proposed up to now on the abovementioned 12 food groups which are known to be rich in AA content. As a partial solution, it is recommended that EU member states monitor AA levels in certain foodstuffs and report to EFSA annually all the data such as sampling points, procedures, sample numbers/frequencies, and analytical approaches.

Conclusions
Today, there is a strikingly wide range of research on the content of AA in foodstuffs. However, taking into account the rich diversity of foods in the world, it can easily be said that even the current research which seem to be extremely rich is not enough. The fact that AA is present at considerably high rates in foods that we can easily access in our daily lives and are part of our dietary habits is a clear manifestation of how we are confronted with a hidden danger. It should not be forgotten that dietary exposure to AA lasts a lifetime. For that reason, how the foods are processed and how frequently they are consumed is extremely important for our human health. Periodical implementations to monitor the level of AA in various foods and to share the data with the public is of great importance in that such actions would be helpful in guiding global health policies.

Funding
This work was funded by Atatürk University Coordination Center of Scientific Research Projects [FDK-2018-6675].