New Acrylamide Legislation Announced
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced that new EU legislation would be in force from April 2018 requiring food businesses to put in place practical steps to manage acrylamide within their food safety management systems. Since acrylamide was first identified in food products in 2002, laboratories have developed and validated analytical methods for the quantification of acrylamide, according to scientists at leading food laboratory, RSSL.
“We have been helping our customers to analyse acrylamide for many years,” notes Emilie Clauzier, Senior Scientist at RSSL. “Many of our clients commission us to perform their annual surveillance testing to understand the levels of acrylamide in finished products as well as testing samples at different stages of the manufacturing process.”
RSSL has UKAS accreditation to test acrylamide in biscuits and the same method is applicable to a number of different food products. The sample preparation is complex, and the LC-MS technique used in detection/quantification is highly sophisticated and capable of detecting low levels of acrylamide. “As the food industry is being challenged to reduce acrylamide levels, our clients are coming to us to help them monitor their acrylamide levels. These results can be used when challenged by regulatory bodies,” Emilie Clauzier adds.
According to the FSA, the new legislation describes measures to mitigate acrylamide formation in a range of foods. The FSA and Food Standards Scotland are working with the British Hospitality Association and other key stakeholders to develop guidance which will help the catering and foodservice sectors comply with new rules. Guidelines to aid understanding of the enforcement of the legislation will also be available in the New Year.
