Abstract
Acrylamide (AA) is a contaminant resulting from the Maillard reaction and classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a probable carcinogen in Group 2A, with proven neurotoxic effects on humans. European Union (EU) Regulation No. 2017/2158 is currently in force, which establishes measures meant to reduce AA levels in food and sets reference values, but not legal limits, equal to 40 and 150 μg/kg AA in processed cereal-based foods intended for infants and young children and in biscuits and rusks, respectively. For this reason, sixty-two baby foods were analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-Q-TOF/MS) to check whether industries were complying with these values, even though AA control is not legally mandatory. In total, 14.5% of the samples exceeded the reference values; these were homogenized chicken products (211.84 ± 16.53, 154.32 ± 12.71, 194.88 ± 7.40 μg/kg), three biscuits (276.36 ± 0.03, 242.06 ± 0.78, 234.78 ± 4.53 μg/kg), a wheat semolina (46.07 ± 0.23 μg/kg), a homogenized product with plaice and potatoes (45.52 ± 0.28 μg/kg), and a children's snack with milk and cocoa (40.95 ± 0.32 μg/kg). Subsequently, the daily intake of AA was estimated, considering the worst-case scenario, as provided by the consumption of homogenized chicken products and biscuits. The results are associated with margins of exposure (MOEs) that are not concerning for neurotoxic effects but are alarming for the probable carcinogenic effects of AA.