Bibliometric exploration of the state of the art on acrylamide and glycidamide in food safety

Abstract Background Acrylamide (AA), a probable human carcinogen (Group 2A) classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), has emerged as a significant food safety concern worldwide. Its formation during high-temperature cooking processes, such as frying, baking, and roasting of starchy foods, has spurred extensive research efforts to understand its toxicity and develop effective mitigation strategies. This study aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of scientific literature on AA and its metabolite, glycidamide (GA), published from 1965 to the end of 2024, focusing on the evolving trends and research emphasis related to their toxicity and mitigation in food. Results A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 3729 Scopus articles was conducted using VOSviewer. The analysis revealed a general increase in the number of annual research publications on AA. Most studies focused on various types of toxicity associated with AA, such as neurotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity, utilizing different models. The findings indicate a growing emphasis on research to mitigate AA formation in foods as a response to its toxicity. Conclusions The study concludes that both the quality and quantity of research articles on AA have significantly improved over time, with an anticipated continued increase in the future research. This trend reflects the ongoing global concern about AA’s toxicity and the importance of developing strategies to reduce its presence in foods, which has significant implications for public health and food safety. Graphic abstract