Acrylamide Testing

Acrylamide was first discovered to be present in certain foods cooked at high temperatures as the result of work announced in Sweden in April 2002. Since then, a joint panel of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) has concluded that more research is needed to achieve a better understanding of its health implications. While acrylamide is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals, no studies of the relationship between acrylamide and cancer in humans have been done.

In response to recent industry concerns regarding the presence of acrylamide in foods, Eurofins Central Analytical Laboratories (ECAL) has implemented an analytical method for providing reliable and highly sensitive detection and quantification of acrylamide.

Using the API 4000, one of the most sensitive Triple Quad LC-MS-MS systems in the world, a method employed by ECAL is sensitive to 10 parts per billion. This LC-MS-MS method has been validated in most foods of concern both by European researchers and by the Food and Drug Administration. The method is based on High Pressure Liquid Chromatography with tandem mass spectrometer detection. It is highly sensitive, and is completely specific for acrylamide in many difficult food matrices, even at low concentrations. It is the method of choice for all food safety and research needs.