Be gone, acrylamide
Novozymes has introduced Acrylaway HighT, a solution that can help reduce the formation of acrylamide in foods that are processed at very high temperatures
Copenhagen, Denmark – Novozymes has launched Acrylaway HighT, a thermostable solution that can reduce acrylamide levels in breakfast cereals and other food products that are typically processed at very high temperatures.
Acrylamide is a chemical compound that forms naturally in some foods when they are baked, fried, toasted or roasted. It’s considered a potential health risk.
The main mechanism for acrylamide formation involves the amino acid asparagine, explains the company.
Through a cascade of reactions during the toasting or baking of breakfast cereals, for example, asparagine is converted into acrylamide during a process called the Maillard reaction that is responsible for colour and flavour developments.
Acrylaway HighT converts asparagine into another naturally occurring amino acid, aspartic acid. As a result, asparagine is no longer available to form acrylamide.
Tests show that Acrylaway HighT can reduce acrylamide levels by at least 50 per cent in a broad range of breakfast cereal products.
