Acrylamide in Zimbabwean foods By Edmond Sanganyado Eaddmund 10:55, 22 February 2007 (UTC)Introduction
In recent times the concept of risk assessment has gained wide acceptance in the food sector society. There has been a global shift from nutritional analysis to risk analysis. Based mainly on the discovery of high levels of acrylamide, a compound classified by IARC as “probable human carcinogen”, by Tareke et al in certain heat treated foods, on April 24 2002 Stockholm University and Swedish National Food Authority announced the findings (1, 2, 3). Studies in United Kingdom, Sweden, Holland, United States, and Japan amongst other developed countries confirmed the discovery ( 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). This placed acrylamide research on the hotspot.
Mottram et al and Stadler et al ascribed asparagines as the precursor of acrylamide in carbohydrate rich heat-treated foods (9, 10). Tareke et al proposed the Mallaird reaction as the possible mechanism of formation for acrylamide, Yaylayan et al and Otles and Otles agreed with the proposal (1, 11, 12). Rydberg et al pointed out that different factors influence the acrylamide content in heated foodstuffs and proposed that additives that have the capacity of binding water reduce the net formation of acrylamide since water inhibits the pyrolysis reaction (13). Eriksson and Castle summarized the analytical methodologies for determination of acrylamide in food but emphasized on the MS techniques of chromatography that is gas chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer and liquid chromatograph with mass spectrometer or tandem mass spectrometer (14). Acrylamide analysis can be either by direct determination or by derivatization using bromine. Since acrylamide analysis was already being carried out before its discovery in food in environmental samples, thus analytical methodologies summarized by Shibamoto (2003) and Eriksson and Castle (2005) were developments of previously used methods such as GC-ECD by Hashimoto (1976) and GC-MS from EPA methods (15, 14, 16, 17).
There is essentially no acrylamide occurrence data applicable to populations where the staple food consumption or food preparation methods, differ substantially from the Western European or North American diet. Furthermore, the generally poor understanding of the mechanism of formation of acrylamide in food does not allow speculations as to the presence of acrylamide in foods that is not sampled (12). The analytical methodologies which are in popular use that is the MS chromatographic techniques are very expensive and out of reach for many researchers in developing countries. The analytical methodology developed by Zhang et al (2006) opened avenues for research in developing countries since it was a rapid and low cost technique (18).
The problem, which would be addressed in this study, would be the determination of acrylamide levels in Zimbabwean foods by expansion of the applicability of the GC-ECD technique developed by Zhang et al (2006). The results obtained will pave way for risk assessment on Zimbabwean foods and development of methods of minimizing acrylamide levels in Zimbabwean foods.
Key Objectives of Project
Although much controversy surrounds the minimum tolerable acrylamide exposure from food, the range of foods investigated need to be extended to include staple foods and diets from different regions of the world. Since the analytical method developed by Zhang et al (2006) was a low cost technique, it is proposed to use the technique to Zimbabwean foods. The project aims at determining the acrylamide levels in Zimbabwean foods. A preliminary study by Zhang et al (2006) demonstrated that a detailed investigation in developing countries is feasible since the technique is relatively cheap compared to MS chromatographic techniques.
Background
Acrylamide is a toxic and potentially cancer-causing chemical that has been used in plastics, pesticides and sewage treatment (19). The overt genotoxic and neurotoxic characteristics of acrylamide coupled with its wide spread occurrence and high levels detected in foods, place acrylamide in a unique position among known heat induced food toxicants (20). The toxicity of acrylamide was presented at a World Health Organization, and Food and Agriculture Organization joint consultation on the health implications of acrylamide in food. The joint consultation recommended further work to be done in development of methods for analysis for acrylamide, modes of formation, and levels of acrylamide in food, dietary intakes to include epidemiological studies of relevant cancers in humans (21). Tareke et al measured the levels of acrylamide in Swedish foodstuffs using an improved GC-MS method and by a new LC-MS/MS method. Rosen and Hellenas developed another LC-MS/MS using isotope dilution (22). El-Ghorab et al developed a direct analysis method using GC-NPD, which was comparatively less expensive and minimized interference from co extractives that are a major problem in MS techniques (23). Additional expenses are incurred since a micro-solid phase extraction apparatus was employed.
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Eaddmund 10:55, 22 February 2007 (UTC)edmond sanganyado