Formation mechanisms, detection methods and mitigation strategies of acrylamide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines in food products

Cancer is one of the highest causes of death globally, which is believed to be mainly contributed by unhealthy diet. This review illustrated the formation mechanisms, detection methods and mitigation strategies of three well-known carcinogens, acrylamide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs). Acrylamide, which is primarily formed through the Maillard reaction, is a Group 2A carcinogen mostly found in carbohydrate-rich food. PAHs (Group 1, 2A, 2B) and HCAs (Group 2A, 2B) are mainly found in meat and meat products. PAHs are formed from the incomplete combustion of carbonaceous materials through pyrosynthesis and pyrolysis processes. The basic pathway of PAH formation is a primary aromatic ring that undergoes numerous molecular growth reactions such as hydrogen abstraction and acetylene addition (HACA). HCAs are characterized as ‘thermic’ if formed below 300 °C and ‘pyrolytic’ if formed above 300 °C. These two categories of HCAs have different formation mechanisms. The most common detection method for these compounds is GC-MS, LC-MS and HPLC-MS/MS, although HPLC with fluorescence detection has the best performance. The generation of all the three carcinogens is promoted at high temperatures but reduced by cooking at lower temperatures, using different cooking methods such as boiling, or incorporating antioxidants in foods during cooking.