Thermal processing is indispensable to develop sensorial characteristics, in particular color, taste and flavour in food products. In addition, it may also induce the formation of health-promoting antioxidative compounds (Lingnert and Wailer 1983). However, the formation of potentially harmful compounds is one of the significant consequences of thermal processing from the viewpoint of food safety. In 2002, the discovery of acrylamide in cooked foods by Swedish researchers raised an alarm over the safety of such foods (Tareke et al. 2002). The presence of acrylamide in common heated foods has been considered an important food-related crisis by international authorities due to following reasons: (1) the foods that contain acrylamide are extensively consumed; (2) acrylamide is a probable human carcinogen and (3) the levels of acrylamide found in food are higher than a large number of other known food-borne carcinogens (Friedman 2003). Assessments by the Joint FAO/ WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) confirmed that a risk couldn't be excluded for dietary intake of acrylamide, because it is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC 1994).
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