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<p>This study will investigate the relationship (correlations) between declared recipe ingredients, processing (colour indicator), and acrylamide formed in retail biscuits. The aim of the study will be to determine whether a matrix model can be developed to predict a more appropriate subgroup for a given biscuit type for which a current ‘indicative value’ might apply. The investigation will target approximately 60 biscuit samples from each of the main biscuit categories included in UK FSA Acrylamide surveys (2007 – 2013) such as digestive, rich tea, ginger, rye etc.</p>
<p>Samples will be collected by Premier Analytical Services from local retail outlets and data from these products (acrylamide, ingredient etc.) will be subjected to multivariate analyses to determine possible trends and categories. If successful, this model will then be extended to data held from previous UK Acrylamide surveys (2007 – 2013) so that trends and comparisons can be made with a larger pool of data. It is anticipated that this investigation / model may be extended to other food categories, such as bread, at a later date.</p>
<p>Background: Acrylamide (AA) levels in biscuits can vary widely and amounts above 1000 µg/kg have been reported in some products. Free Asparagine (Asn) is believed to be the limiting or dominant precursor of AA formation in cereal products and therefore recipes that utilise cereals which are naturally high in Asn, such as rye, oats and wholemeal flours, may form more AA. Conversely, reducing or consuming Asn, eg by the addition of either an enzyme or yeast, or another microorganism to product recipes, can have a significant impact on the AA level generated during baking. The thermal conversion of Asn into AA is a multistep series of reactions, some of which are believed to involve reducing carbohydrates. </p>