Acrylamide Intake in Senior Center Canteens: A Total Exposure Assessment Applying the Duplicate Diet Approach

This study conducted a total acrylamide exposure assessment through the daily diet in two Spanish senior centers using the duplicate diet method. Among foods regulated in Europe, only instant coffee provided at senior center 1 (2831 µg/kg) exceeded the benchmark value of 850 µg/kg. The primary contributors to acrylamide intake were French fries (27.3 µg/serving) and Spanish omelet (21.6 µg/serving), followed by stews, soups, and creams (16.1-5.8 µg/serving). Total acrylamide exposure was estimated under lower bound (LB) and upper bound (UB) scenarios, being 0.36-0.40 and 0.48-0.54 µg/kg bw/day, respectively. In the LB scenario, cereal-based products were the largest contributors (≤90.4%), whereas in the UB scenario, other foods/meals, including stews and vegetal dishes, became the main contributors (≤83.4%). The margin of exposure (MOE) for neoplastic effects ranged between 314 and 474, indicating a potential health risk for consumers. These findings emphasize the need to integrate nutritional and food safety considerations when designing diets for elderly populations.