ASSESSMENT OF FOOD ADDITIVES IMPACT ON ACRYLAMIDE FORMATION IN POPCORN SUPPLIED IN TEHRAN, IRAN: A RISK ASSESSMENT STUDY

Acrylamide (AA) is a probable toxic substance that forms naturally, especially in carbohydrate-rich foods. Adding flavorings to foods and food additives makes people new food habits and customer friendly. This study investigated the AA concentration in 34 commercial popcorn samples with different additives. Also, health risk assessment was carried out using the Simulation of Monte Carlo methods. The highest and lowest mean AA concentration was detected in salty popcorn and cheese popcorn, respectively. The differences in acrylamide amounts in popcorn samples are due to differences in the food additives used for each popcorn type production. Hazard quotient (HQ) was determined for three age groups (<18, 18-60, and >60 years old). For all three age groups, mean HQ was lower than 1, but the probabilistic approach has shown that the HQ 90% was higher than 1 for both age groups <18 and 18-60 years old and revealed that AA might have potential health problems. Cancer risk for all three age groups indicates a potential concern for consumers. Therefore, controlling and monitoring AA demand in the different flavors and brands is essential, especially for the children group.