Assessment of Dietary Exposure to Acrylamide Through Consumption of Fried and Baked Foods in Enugu Urban, South East Nigeria

Acrylamide, a probable human carcinogen classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, forms in starchy foods during high-temperature cooking processes including frying and baking via the Maillard reaction between asparagine and reducing sugars. Chronic dietary exposure through commonly consumed fried and baked foods poses a potential public health risk that is incompletely characterised in Nigeria. This study assessed dietary exposure to acrylamide through fried and baked food consumption in Enugu Urban, South East Nigeria. Acrylamide concentrations in twelve commonly consumed foods including chin-chin, fried yam, plantain chips, fried potatoes, biscuits, and bread were determined by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Consumption data for 280 adults and 120 children were collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire and confirmed by two 24-hour recalls. Dietary exposure was estimated using a deterministic approach and compared against the benchmark reference dose established by the European Food Safety Authority. Results showed that fried yam contained the highest acrylamide concentration (1,840 micrograms per kilogram) and was the major contributor to acrylamide intake, particularly among adults. Mean estimated daily intake for adults (0.52 micrograms per kilogram body weight per day) and children (0.89 micrograms per kilogram body weight per day) exceeded the margin of exposure benchmark, indicating a potential public health concern. The study recommends mitigation strategies including optimising frying temperature and duration and public education on cooking practices. Keywords: acrylamide, dietary exposure, fried foods, food safety, Enugu.