Acrylamide

Regulations come into force requiring mitigation of acrylamide:

18 April 2018

What is acrylamide?

• Chemical formed during cooking due to chemical reaction of amino acids and sugar called the Maillard reaction

• Deemed to be a human carcinogen by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

• Cannot eliminate acrylamide in food, so need to reduce it as much as possible.

The Regulations

• Acrylamide = chemical hazard in HACCP-based Food Safety Management Systems

• Enforcement will be under Article 5 of 852/2004• Regulations require all businesses to put into place

measures to reduce acrylamide to levels as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA)

• Benchmark values are guides, not maximum admissible concentrations

• Small businesses not expected to do chemical tests –measures to be proportionate

• Hospitality Industry Guide being produced

Indicative Values – not MACs

Hospitality Industry Consultation

• Wide variety of restaurants and other outlets

• Many menu items and variations

• £200 per acrylamide test

• Burden of testing - unacceptable

• Incorporation of acrylamide controls into HACCP

• Cost estimate: max £100 per business

Acrylamide and Foods in Catering Article 1(2)

• Potato products – chips, other deep fried potato products, home made crisps.

• Crisps and snacks made from potato or potato dough

• Bread

• Breakfast cereals

• “Fine Bakery Wares” –biscuits, scones, crumpets

• Coffee

• Baby foods

Lack of clarity - not specifically mentioned:

• Pizza

• Doughnuts, churros – may come under “Fine Bakery Wares”

• Pasties and pies

• Baked pasta dishes

• Roast potatoes (although may be classed as oven fried potatoes)

• Toast (but bread is)

• Breaded foods (but bread is)

BHA Catering Guide to Acrylamide

• Practical guide• Simple to understand and use• Toolkit• Guide to compliance• Best Practice • Working with other stakeholders• Amalgamation of good materials from many sources:

– Potato Processing Association– European colleagues– Hospitality Europe– Consumer research – France and UK

Less onerous requirements for small businesses

• Article 2.2 applies to small businesses

• Article 2.3: businesses that -– operate in facilities under direct control and that

are operating under one trademark or commercial license, as a part of, or franchise of, a larger, interconnected operation and under the instructions of the food business operator that centrally supplies the foodstuffs.”

• All businesses must put into place mitigation measures

Considerations for control at catering steps

Purchase

• Variety and type of potato – pick lower sugar content

• Reduced starch

• Use a cooking oil which allows to fry quicker and/or at lower temperatures;

Storage

• Temperatures matter to potatoes

• Sugar increases with lower temperatures

• Keep above 6°C (out of the fridge)

• Don’t bruise potatoes – it increases the starch

Preparation

• Washing, soaking

• Par-boiling (can reduce acrylamide by 50%),

• Reduce surface area to reduce acrylamide - less on roast potatoes than on thin cut chips

Cooking – potato products

• Cooking – 160-175°C in the fryer • Twice cooked, 160°C for first cook• Oven - 190-220°C• Cook French fries to gold• Avoid frying till brown/dark• Maintain good frying oil quality• Skim frequently to remove bits • Regularly refresh the deep-frying oil• Follow manufacturers’ instructions• Use manufacturers’ original printed cooking chart to

cross check

Larger organisations

Article 2(3) applies

• Work to Standard Operating Procedures

• Computerised fryers for time / temperature when equipment is replaced

• Sampling plan at head office to verify mitigation

• Specify to suppliers that coffee must be supplied below bench mark

Baking

• Bake bread to a light colour

• Bake biscuits to light colour

• When reasonably possible, consider using lower oven temperature with longer cooking time

• Follow manufacturer’s instructions if baking par-baked bread products

Toast

• Don’t over-toast

• Avoid dark brown

• Be careful with brown bread

Documentation, Monitoring and Records

• Incorporate into FSMS• “Go for gold”• Small businesses - no testing – use correlation

from manufacturers’ original colour chart where possible

• Incorporate checks into normal routine for cooking and service

• Records to show checks done from time to time• Training to be incorporated into normal food safety

training

Example of simple record

What’s next?

• Finalising guide with FSA, FSS and other stakeholders

• Primary Authority Assured Advice

• FSA letter for enforcement officers in progress

• FBOs to embed into FSMS

What should businesses do to show compliance?

• Show awareness

• Embed in FSMS

• Do simple checks – eg colour checks

• Back up checks with some HO testing if a larger company