Acrylamide and Advanced Glycation End Products in Frying Food: Formation, Effects, and Harmfulness

Frying food can provide an attractive flavor relatively quickly; however, it inevitably produces some safety risks during high-temperature processing, with potentially adverse human health effects. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures during frying might raise the concentration of some harmful compounds that accumulate from the complex chemical reactions taking place inside the food matrix. This review elaborates on the development of food risk factors during frying, adding acrylamide (AA) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are involved in various health problems, including chronic illnesses and carcinogenesis. The two commonly recognized pathways for acrylamide formation include the Maillard reaction pathway and the acrylic acid pathway, with the Maillard reaction considered to be the primary pathway for AGE formation. The processing conditions and food components that affect the formation of these toxic compounds are then specified, demonstrating the importance of factors including type of oil, composition of food (such as moisture and fat content), frying temperature, and duration. Finally, the corresponding health hazards posed by the risk factors are summarized, with an emphasis on the long-term effects of acrylamide and AGE exposure on human health. Increased risks of neurotoxicity, cancer, inflammation, and metabolic diseases have been associated with both compounds. The aim is to clarify the formation pathways, influencing factors, and health impacts of risk factors in frying food and to provide a reference for the prevention of food safety problems caused by acrylamide and advanced glycation end products.