Acrylamide: Majority of consumers aware of the carcinogen are concerned, finds DSM survey

04 Sep 2018 --- Consumers are still largely unaware of acrylamide – but those who do know something about acrylamide, know enough to be concerned, according to a new report from DSM's Global Insights Series. DSM’s survey, conducted among consumers in France, Germany, the UK and the US, shows that once knowledgeable about acrylamide, consumers expect food manufacturers to find solutions.

Acrylamide is a suspected carcinogen that forms in foods with reducing sugar that is processed at a high temperature, such as cookies or tortilla chips. Many food manufacturers have already taken significant steps to reduce acrylamide levels in their products, but recent regulatory changes and increasing public awareness about acrylamide is prompting even further action. The results of DSM’s consumer survey show there is still room for the food industry to claim a leadership role in acrylamide reduction. 

In April, European Union legislation came into force, concerning the amount of acrylamide in foods with “benchmark” levels being set for various products. Passed by the EU last year, April 2018 marked the beginning of the law limiting the amount of acrylamide allowed in packaged foods and forces manufacturers to carefully examine and reduce acrylamide levels in products.

The legislation describes practical measures based upon best practice guidelines developed by the food industry to mitigate acrylamide formation in a range of foods. Due to the suspected toxicity of the substance, acrylamide levels in food have been monitored for years and subject to debate and discussion.

In an opinion adopted in 2015, the Scientific Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirmed that acrylamide in food potentially increases the risk of developing cancer for consumers in all age groups.

“While acrylamide is still relatively ‘under the radar’ for many consumers, the topic is quickly gaining attention through major media outlets in the US and Europe,” says Fokke van den Berg, Business Director for Baking at DSM. “Our research shows that once consumers are informed about acrylamide, they want manufacturers – more than regulators – to take action to reduce acrylamide levels.” 

According to DSM’s survey, a high 54 percent of people in Germany are aware of acrylamide, but that number dips to an average of just 12 percent in France, the UK, and the US. Most of these informed consumers (64 percent) have decided to take action to reduce their acrylamide consumption, such as by adjusting their cooking behavior. Around half of those surveyed believe the responsibility for acrylamide levels in the products they buy sits with food manufacturers, and just 28 percent think regulators should take responsibility.

Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, van den Berg says: “With the issue of acrylamide gaining attention globally, this is an area of focus for our customers in the baking and snack industries, and for us at DSM as well. We expect to continue innovating in this area and providing our customers with support to address acrylamide in the coming years.”

Sharing knowledge within the industry really is key, according to van den Berg. “With a topic like acrylamide reduction, it is in everyone’s best interest that solutions are known and shared. There are already some great examples of collaboration in the industry, such as the FoodDrinkEurope Acrylamide Toolbox that explains and evaluates acrylamide mitigation solutions per food application. At DSM, we welcome close collaboration with our customers, as the variety of recipes and processes, is broad,” he explains. 

“As DSM’s recent consumer research has shown, once consumers are aware of acrylamide, they want to act immediately – and they expect food manufacturers to do the same for the products they buy. With awareness growing worldwide, we expect acrylamide to be a point of increasing focus for the food industry in the coming years,” he notes. “As consumers become increasingly aware of acrylamide, we see that global food companies are seeking to reduce acrylamide in all of their products, even without legislation in place.”
 
“At DSM, we anticipate that acrylamide reduction will continue to be a focus for the next few years, with food manufacturers seeking to continually reduce their acrylamide levels in a wide range of applications.”

Food manufacturers acting fast to reduce acrylamide in their products face a challenge to deliver acrylamide-reduced versions of their products with the same taste and texture their consumers know and love. In July, DSM launched PreventASe XR, an enzymatic solution that prevents the formation of acrylamide in high-pH applications such as corn chips, biscuits, and crackers. PreventASe is positioned as a trusted acrylamide-reduction solution proven to reduce acrylamide in processed foods by up to 95 percent. While PreventASe is suitable for a broad range of applications, the new PreventASe XR is optimized for higher-pH applications.

DSM explain that PreventASe and PreventASe XR are asparaginases that prevent the formation of acrylamide in a wide range of baked goods and snacks such as bread, cookies, crackers, breakfast and infant cereals, french fries, tortilla chips, and pretzels without impacting taste, texture or shelf-life. Using the PreventASe range, food producers can reduce acrylamide levels by up to 95 percent, depending on the type of application. 

At the time the launch was announced, van den Berg told FoodIngredientsFirst: “Acrylamide reduction has been a focus area for the industry for some time now, but a new regulation in the EU has given acrylamide reduction efforts much more focus and urgency in recent months. We also see that consumer awareness about acrylamide is on the rise due to increased media coverage in the US, UK and Europe, which means the issue is really heating up this year.”

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By Elizabeth Green