Acrylamide is a synthetic monomer with a wide scope of industrial applications, mainly as a precursor in the production of several polymers, such as polyacrylamide. The main uses of polyacrylamides are in water and wastewater treatment processes, pulp and paper processing, and mining and mineral processing. The announcement by the Swedish National Food Administration in April 2002 of the presence of acrylamide predominantly in heat-treated carbohydrate-rich foods sparked intensive investigations into acrylamide, encompassing the occurrence, chemistry, agricultural practices, and toxicology, in order to establish if there is a potential risk to human health from the presence of this contaminant in the human diet. The link of acrylamide in foods to the Maillard reaction and, in particular, to the amino acid asparagine has been a major step forward in elucidating the first feasible chemical route of formation during the preparation and processing of food. Other probably minor pathways have also been proposed, including acrolein and acrylic acid. This review addresses the analytical and mechanistic aspects of the acrylamide issue and summarizes the progress made to date by the European food industries in these key areas. Essentially, it presents experimental results generated under laboratory model conditions, as well as under actual food processing conditions covering different food categories, such as potatoes, biscuits, cereals, and coffee. Since acrylamide formation is closely linked to food composition, factors such as the presence of sugars and availability of free amino acids are also considered. Many new findings that contribute towards a better understanding of the formation and presence of acrylamide in foods are presented. Many national authorities across the world are assessing the dietary exposure of consumers to acrylamide, and scientific projects have commenced to gather new information about the toxicology of acrylamide. These are expected to provide new scientific knowledge that will help to clarify whether or not there is a risk to human health from the consumption of foods containing low amounts of acrylamide.

Within this research project, the LCI (Lebensmittelchemisches Institut des Bundesverbandes der Deutschen Süßwarenindustrie e. V.) conducted systematic studies to determine the thermal stability of the mycotoxins ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxin B1, as the available literature provides contradictory data. Firstly, the said mycotoxins in pure form were subjected to thermal treament. Secondly, tests were conducted to determine the influence of certain matrix substances, including carbohydrates and proteins, on the thermal decomposition behaviour of the mycotoxins. As a result it can be said that OTA seems to be stable up to 180 °C; however aflatoxin B1 was almost completely degraded at heating temperatures of 160 °C and above. In several model assays it could further be shown that the degradation of mycotoxins is improved by the existence of certain matrix compounds.

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Titanium dioxide is a white colourant authorised as food additive E171 in the EU and is applied in a range of food products. Currently the EU specifications for E171 do not refer to the characterisation of particle size distribution; however, this may be requested in the near future. Only a few studies have been published to date reporting data on the size distribution of food grade titanium dioxide. The aim of this study was to characterise the size distribution of titanium dioxide particles contained in eight confectionery products and the pristine titanium dioxide samples used in each of the products. This allowed the direct comparison of the particle size distribution in both the pristine and the extracted materials. By using various analytical techniques, such as transmission electron microscopy, single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (sp-ICPMS) and centrifuge liquid sedimentation (CLS) for the characterisation and quantification of the titanium dioxide particle sizes, the impact of the instrumentation on the results was systematically studied. The volume-specific surface area (VSSA) and crystalline structure were also determined for all additives.

According to German food guidelines, almonds are the only oilseed ingredient allowed for the production of marzipan. Persipan is a marzipan surrogate in which the almonds are replaced by apricot or peach kernels. Cross-contamination of marzipan products with persipan may occur if both products are produced using the same production line. Adulterations or dilutions, respectively, of marzipan with other plant-derived products, for example, lupine or pea, have also been found. Almond and apricot plants are closely related. Consequently, classical analytical methods for the identification/differentiation often fail or are not sensitive enough to quantify apricot concentrations below 1%. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods have been shown to enable the differentiation of closely related plant species in the past. These methods are characterized by high specificity and low detection limits. Isolation methods were developed and evaluated especially with respect to the matrix marzipan in terms of yield, purity, integrity, and amplificability of the isolated DNA. For the reliable detection of apricot, peach, pea, bean, lupine, soy, cashew, pistachio, and chickpea, qualitative standard and duplex PCR methods were developed and established. The applicability of these methods was tested by cross-reaction studies and analysis of spiked raw pastes. Contaminations at the level of 0.1% could be detected.