Acrylamide Food Safety Regulations

What is Acrylamide and what does the Acrylamide legislation 2017 mean to your kitchen practices?

Acrylamide is a chemical substance formed by a reaction between amino acids and sugars, typically in foods with high starch content, when cooked at high temperatures such as in frying, roasting, toasting and baking.  Acrylamide is now considered to be a probable genotoxic carcinogen in humans and is produced when overcooking/browning/burning starchy foods such as potatoes and bread products.  There is also potential acrylamide in over-roasted coffee beans.

What does this mean to me?

The legislation requires Caterers to update their Food Safety System to document your procedures on how you will mitigate the production of acrylamide.  Your Food safety System is already updated with this information.

Brief your team so they know what Acrylamide is and ensure your kitchen procedures are to cook starchy foods until they are golden brown only. 

Starchy foods should not be overcooked and should only be cooked to a golden yellow colour.