Akrilamid Analizi — EN 16618 / (AB) 2017/2158

What Is Acrylamide?

Acrylamide analysis is the measurement of acrylamide, which is formed from asparagine and reducing sugars during the Maillard reaction in starchy foods cooked at high temperatures. The sample is extracted, cleaned and measured by LC-MS/MS using the isotope labeled internal standard.

Purpose of Acrylamide

The aim is to compare the acrylamide level with the benchmark values defined in (EU) 2017/2158 and to verify the effectiveness of the applied mitigation measures.

Which Products Is Acrylamide Applied To?

Potato chips and fried potato products
Bread and bakery products
Coffee and coffee substitutes
Breakfast cereals and biscuits
Baby foods and grain-based products

In Which Sectors Is Acrylamide Used?

FoodAgricultureRetail

Standards Related to Acrylamide

TS EN 16618 (food — determination of acrylamide, LC-MS/MS)
AOAC 2019.03
Sampling and monitoring approach in Annexes (EU) 2017/2158

Acrylamide Conditions

internal standard: Isotope labeled acrylamide is used; corrects matrix effect
Extraction: Cleaning by aqueous extraction and solid phase extraction
Measurement: LC-MS/MS
Unit: µg/kg

Equipment for Acrylamide

LC-MS/MS
Solid-phase extraction system
Grinder and homogenizer
Analytical balance

Sample Requirements for Acrylamide

The sample ready for consumption; The degree of cooking directly affects the result
The sample must be homogenized
Product category and cooking parameters must be declared
Sampling should be done from representative points of production

Duration of Acrylamide

Extraction, cleanup, and LC-MS/MS measurement together take several working days.

Acrylamide Procedure

1The sample is made ready for consumption and homogenized.
2The isotope labeled internal standard is added.
3Aqueous extraction is performed.
4It is cleaned by solid phase extraction.
5Measured by LC-MS/MS.
6The result is compared with benchmark values.

Acrylamide Acceptance Criteria

(EU) 2017/2158 defines BENCH VALUES, not legal maximum limits, for acrylamide: exceeding these values does not imply direct non-conformity, but requires the operator to review mitigation measures. In some categories, such as baby foods, there are maximum levels within the scope of (EU) 2023/915. Which one applies to your product is confirmed by the applicable text.

Evaluation of Results

Acrylamide level is very sensitive to cooking temperature, time and reducing sugar content in the raw material; Two parties following the same line may produce significantly different results. Therefore, regular monitoring rather than a single measurement is more meaningful.

Acrylamide Report

Sample description, product category and cooking condition
Applied standard and internal standard information
Result (µg/kg), detection limit and uncertainty
Compared benchmark or maximum level

Accreditation

EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.

Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Scope and authorisations

Related Regulations

Regulation (EU) 2017/2158 on Acrylamide Abatement Measures and Benchmarks
(EU) Maximum Contaminant Levels Regulation 2023/915

Food Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?

The section below describes the field that the Acrylamide test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Food testing shows that a product is safe for consumption and contains what its label states. The family works along three axes: microbiological safety, chemical safety and nutritional composition. All three require different laboratory infrastructure, a different body of methods and a different turnaround time.

The most distinctive feature of the field is TIME PRESSURE. A steel specimen can wait on a shelf; a raw milk or fresh meat sample cannot. The time the sample was taken, the transport temperature and how long it takes to reach the laboratory directly determine the validity of the result. In food microbiology the cold chain record is therefore an inseparable part of the test report.

On the microbiological side there are two different questions and they must not be confused. DETECTION of a pathogen is a qualitative question: is Salmonella present in the sample or not? ENUMERATION of indicator organisms is a quantitative question and an indicator of production hygiene. The absence of a pathogen in a product does not show that hygiene is good; if the total mesophilic aerobic count is high, there is a problem in the process.

On the chemical side, pesticide residues, mycotoxins, heavy metals, additives, veterinary drug residues and process contaminants (acrylamide, furan, PAH) are measured. Multi-residue methods in this area (QuEChERS-based LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS) can screen hundreds of active substances in a single analysis; limits are defined separately for each product–substance pair.

On the composition side, protein, fat, moisture, ash, fibre, sugar profile, fatty acid composition, vitamin and mineral content are determined. These values are the basis of the nutrition declaration on the label and the tolerance ranges are defined in legislation — the difference between the declared value and the measured value must stay within that tolerance.

There is NO CE marking on food, and this shapes how the field works. Conformity is demonstrated through operating a HACCP-based food safety system, complying with labelling rules and not exceeding contaminant, residue and microbiological limits. A test result produces evidence not for a certificate but for a functioning system.

Allergen management carries particular weight. The presence of an undeclared allergen in a product is one of the most frequent causes of food recalls. Analysis here runs together with cleaning validation: it is shown that the line has been cleaned adequately after a production run containing an allergen and that the risk of cross-contamination is under control.

Voluntary schemes have become effectively mandatory in this field. Retail chains require their suppliers to hold a certificate under a GFSI-recognised scheme (BRCGS, IFS, FSSC 22000); without it, getting onto the shelf is practically impossible.

Method groups in this field

Pathogen detection
Detection of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, Cronobacter and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli; culture-based and molecular methods.
Indicator counts
Total mesophilic aerobic count, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms and E. coli, coagulase-positive staphylococci, yeasts and moulds, lactic acid bacteria, sulphite-reducing Clostridia.
Pesticide and veterinary residues
Multi-residue screening by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS with QuEChERS extraction.
Mycotoxins and contaminants
Aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, patulin; heavy metals (ICP-MS), acrylamide and PAH compounds.
Nutritional composition
Kjeldahl protein, fat and fatty acid profile, moisture, ash, dietary fibre, sugar profile, vitamin and mineral analyses.
Allergens and authenticity
Gluten, milk, egg, nut and soy allergen analyses; molecular methods for species identification and adulteration detection.

Commonly confused in this field

Sampling is half the result. A sample transported at the wrong temperature or delayed gives an invalid result even if it is analysed correctly in the laboratory.
The absence of a pathogen does not show that hygiene is good; indicator counts give separate information and the two are read together.
A result from a sample taken from a lot can be generalised to the whole lot only if the sampling plan was set up statistically.
Limits are defined in separate regulations by product group and are updated regularly; a conformity decision based on an outdated limit table may be wrong.
For exports, the limits of the destination country may differ from EU limits; the same product may be compliant in one market and non-compliant in another.

Which decisions these results support

Verification of the HACCP plan and process monitoring
The basis for the nutrition declaration and allergen information on the label
Health certificates before export and compliance with destination market limits
Supplier and lot-based acceptance control
Shelf-life studies and determining storage conditions
Producing evidence for audits under GFSI-recognised schemes

Related Tests

Frequently Asked Questions About Acrylamide

We have exceeded the benchmark value, should we recall the product?

The benchmark is not a legal maximum; exceeding it requires review of mitigation measures. However, in categories with maximum levels (for example, baby foods), the situation is different and exceeding it is a direct non-compliance.

How can we reduce acrylamide?

(EU) 2017/2158 lists measures by product group: raw material selection and storage temperature, control of reducing sugar level, reducing cooking temperature and time, keeping the color target clear are among these.