DSM’s Acrylamide Mitigation Solution Supported by Industry 

05/12/07 The update of the ‘Acrylamide Toolbox’ by the European food and drink industry association (CIAA) – published on 4th December 2007 – highlights the feasibility of the industrial application of the enzyme ‘asparaginase’ for acrylamide mitigation, says DSM. The CIAA Toolbox reflects the results of several years of industry cooperation to understand acrylamide formation and potential intervention steps. Its aim is to provide brief descriptions of the intervention steps evaluated and, in many cases, already implemented by food manufacturers and other partners in the food chain. One of the key changes in the CIAA Toolbox is the listing of asparaginase as being effective in biscuits at industrial scale. DSM’s PreventASe enzyme is an ‘asparaginase enzyme preparation’ that is commercially available and has been proven to be commercially viable.

Working with numerous partners in the food industry PreventASe has demonstrated its potential to significantly mitigate the formation of acrylamide whilst leaving the nutritional properties unaffected as well as the browning and taste aspects. In 2007 DSM Food Specialities received approval from the Danish and French food safety authorities for the use of its PreventASe as well as GRAS (generally recognised as safe) status in the US. The product is already being used by the food industry and products are available to consumers in a number of countries throughout the European Union. PreventASe has also recently completed a successful trial with a global ‘top 5’ biscuit manufacturer, who will market consumer products using this innovative solution before the end of 2007. Further commercial applications are expected in the coming months with many other commercial trials successfully concluded.

Alexander Wessels, Business Group Director of DSM Food Specialties, stated: “The addition of asparaginase to the CIAA toolbox is a major step forward in the industry's endeavour to mitigate the formation of acrylamide in foods. DSM’s innovative solution will allow the food industry to bring more healthy and balanced products to the consumer.” Judith Heikoop of DSM Food Specialties added “DSM’s acrylamide mitigation and risk management tool, PreventASe™, is commercially available and commercially viable and can therefore now be used in various food products and applications throughout the EU and the US.”

PreventASe is proven to be able to mitigate the formation of acrylamide in certain foods by as much as 90%. The PreventASe enzyme is a so-called “asparaginase enzyme preparation” from the Aspergillus niger micro-organism (A. niger). The enzyme basically converts one of the precursors of acrylamide, asparagine, into another naturally occurring amino acid, aspartate. As a result, asparagine is not available anymore for the chemical reaction that forms acrylamide when carbohydrate-containing foods, such as bread, biscuits, crackers, formed potato products and cereals are being heated. Various authorities require the mitigation of its presence in food. Applying asparaginase in food in order to reduce acrylamide has been identified as one of the solutions by both industry associations and Governmental institutions.