Enzymes for acrylamide reduction in processed potatoes and coffee

Reduce acrylamide levels and achieve compliance

Girl eating croquettes

Consumers becoming more aware of risks of acrylamide

Consumers around the world are becoming increasingly aware of the potential risks of acrylamide in food. That awareness is due in part to the rise in legislation aimed at limiting acrylamide levels. Both the EU and the USFDA warn of acrylamide’s possible carcinogenic effects. In the US, acrylamide is on the the State of California’s proposition 65 list. In Europe, there’s already a monitoring and benchmarking system in place for acrylamide levels in food. And Indonesia’s National Agency for Drug and Food Control (NADFC) recently published a ‘Guideline on Acrylamide Reduction in Processed Coffee’.

Acrylamide in coffee and processed potatoes

Acrylamide is a suspected carcinogen that forms naturally in a range of cooking processes, including production of coffee, French fries and potato-based snacks. 

The Maillard reaction helps give all these products their appealing colors and delicious flavors. But it also leads to the formation of acrylamide. Find out how acrylamide forms, and how to prevent it. 

Check your products’ compliance

To help you anticipate legislation and future-proof your products, we’ve launched a compliance tool and product finder. The compliance tool doesn’t just include current benchmark levels. It also allows you to check your products against proposed new EU benchmarks and maximum limits. Then it guides you to the right Acrylaway® solution to keep your products in compliance.

Acrylaway® products don’t impact final product taste and texture. That makes them ideal solutions for mitigating acrylamide levels in a consistent way, so you can meet the demands of health-conscious consumers and retailers.

The compliance tool and our Acrylaway® range make compliance simpler, save time and give you peace of mind.

Acryladmid reduction compliance checker
EU Regulations flags brussels

Proposed maximum acrylamide limits in the EU

If you’re selling into the EU market, you currently need to comply with a benchmarking system. This involves aiming for acrylamide levels that are As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA). If any of your products’ levels are higher than their benchmark, you must review your mitigation measures and aim to work towards lower levels. But if draft regulation currently under consideration passes, maximum limits would also be introduced across EU member states. If your products were to exceed these maximum limits, it’s likely that you’d have to stop marketing them. They could even be recalled. 

rosti potatoes

Monitoring proposed for a range of fruit & vegetable applications

As well as this potential tightening of legislations, recent legislation also broadened the range of applications to be monitored. The new, non-exhaustive list now includes root vegetable fries, fruit crisps, and potato-based dishes such as rösti and croquettes.

Boy eating fries

Greater focus on the impact of acrylamide on children

Because of their lower body weight and higher metabolisms, legislators are especially concerned about the impact of acrylamide on infants and young children. European Parliament members recently asked the European Commission to reduce the proposed maximum limit for foods typically consumed by children

Achieve compliance in coffee and a range of potato-based foods

To support compliance, the European Commission worked with FoodDrinkEurope to develop the Acrylamide toolbox. Acrylaway® also helps keep many producers well beyond compliance by reducing acrylamide formation in the broadest range of applications by up to 95%. It’s an ideal solution for mitigating acrylamide levels in a consistent way. With Acrylaway®, you can stay ahead of changing legislation and the demands of health-conscious consumers and retailers. All without impacting final product taste and texture. Acrylaway® keeps processed potato products looking golden and tasting delicious and ensures coffee drinkers can enjoy the rich, roasted flavor they love.

Which solution is right for you?

Find the right solution for you in our global portfolio, shown below. To find out more about products available in your region, get in touch with your local Novozymes representative.

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Acrylamide reduction solutions for baked goods

Recent EU legislation also added pita and specialty breads, pancakes, tortillas, churros, doughnuts, croissants, hamburger, whole wheat and a wide range of other rolls to the list of baked goods to be monitored. 

Our solutions can help keep all these baked goods in compliance, without changing their taste, smell, mouth feel or appearance. 

Baked bread

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