United States
In March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued final guidance to the food industry about reducing levels of acrylamide in certain foods. The guidelines for food growers, processers, manufacturers, and sellers are non-binding.
There is not much new in the FDA guidance about reducing acrylamide in coffee. In fact, the FDA’s “Guidance for Industry Acrylamide in Foods” cites FoodDrinkEurope’s Acrylamide Toolbox as a main source for this statement: “In more recent laboratory and pilot trials, treatment of green coffee beans with asparaginase resulted in lower acrylamide levels (5-45 percent) after roasting compared with untreated roasted beans, but coffee taste was significantly and negatively affected.”
The release announcing availability of the guidance statement advises consumers to limit acrylamide intake according to the agency’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For the coffee sector, awareness of acrylamide levels in their products seems the only clear recommendation given the acknowledgment that available mitigation techniques negatively affect flavor in coffee.
Learn more: http://www.fda.gov/FoodGuidances