Acrylamide - Are There Reasons to Worry?
Oliwia Kaczmarek
2026-03-22
7 min. read
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Acrylamide is an extremely toxic compound that forms during the thermal processing of starch-rich foods (e.g. fries, chips, cakes), during bread baking, and during high-temperature meat roasting. It can also be present in tobacco smoke. Does it have any impact on our health and how can we avoid exposure to this substance?
Acrylamide - its nature and the way it forms
Acrylamide is a low molecular weight organic compound. It is one of the products of the Maillard reaction, also known as the non-enzymatic browning reaction, which occurs under the influence of heat processes (usually over 120°C) and at low humidity. This process is very complex and involves a series of intricate reactions between reducing sugars and amino acids, peptides or proteins containing a free amino group, resulting in the formation of numerous new chemical compounds.
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