EN    EN 
 
 
 EUROPEAN  
COMMISSION   
Brussels, XXX   
SANTE/11059/2016 ANNEX Rev. 3 
(POOL/E2/2016/11059/11059R3 -EN 
ANNEX.doc) D048379/05  
[…](2017) XXX  draft  
ANNEXES 1 to 4  
  
ANNEXES  
to the  
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) …/…  
establishing mitigation measures and benchmark levels for the reduction of the presence 
of acrylamide in food   EN 2   EN ANNEX I  
MITIGATION MEASURES REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE  2(1)  
Where the mitigation measures in this Annex include the use of food additives and other 
substances, the food additives and other substances sh all be  used in accordance with the  
provisions provided for in Regulation s (EC) No 1332/20081, (EC) 1333/20082 and (EU) No 
231/20123. 
I. PRODUCTS  BASED  ON  RAW  POTATOES  
Selection of suitable potato varieties  
1. Food business operators ( hereinafter ‘ FBO s’) shall identify and use the potato 
varieties that are suitable for the product type and where the content of 
acrylamide precursors , such as reduci ng sugars ( fructose and glucose ) and 
asparagine is the lowest  for the regional conditions . 
2. FBO s shall use the potato varieties which have bee n stored in the conditions  
which are applicable to a specific potato variety and for the storage period 
determined for a specific variety. The stored potatoes shall be used within their 
optimal storage window.  
3. FBOs shall identify potato varieties with lower acrylamide forming potential in 
cultivation, storage and during food process ing. The results shall be 
documented.  
Acceptance criteria  
1. FBOs shall specify in their arrangements regarding potato supply the maximum 
content of reducing sugars  in potatoes  and also the maximum  amount of 
bruised, spotted or damaged potatoes . 
2. If the specified content of reducing sugar content  in potatoes  and the amount of 
bruised, spotted or damaged potatoes are exceeded , FBO s may accept the 
potato supply by specifying additional available mitigation measures to be 
taken to ensure that the presence of  acrylamide in the final product is as low as 
reasonably achievable below  the benchmark level set out in Annex IV .  
Potato storage and transport  
1. Where FBOs  operate their own storage facilities :  
– the temperature shall be appropriate to the potato variety  stored  and it 
shall be above 6°C ; 
– the level of humidity shall be such as to minimise senescent sweetening ;  
                                                 
1 Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council  of 16 December 2008 on 
food en zymes and amending Council Directive 83/417/EEC, Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999, 
Directive 2000/13/EC, Council Directive 2001/112/EC and Regulat ion (EC) 258/97 (OJ L 354, 
31.12.2008, p.  7). 
2 Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on 
food add itives (OJ L 354, 31.12.2008, p. 16) . 
3 Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 of 9 March 2012 laying down specifications for food 
additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulat ion (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and 
of the Council (OJ L 83, 22.3. 2012, p. 1) . EN 3   EN – sprouting shall be suppressed in long term stored po tatoes where 
permitted, using appropriate agents ; 
– during storage the level of  reducing sugars i n potatoes shall be tested . 
2. Potato lots shall be monitor ed for reducing sugars at the time of harvest .  
3. FBO s shall specify the potato transport conditions in terms of temperature and 
duration  especially if outside temperatures are significantly lower than the 
temperature regime applied during storage, to ensure that the temperature 
during the transportation of potatoes is not lower than the temperature regime 
applied during storage. These speci fications shall be documented.  
(a) SLICED POTATO CRISPS  
Recipe and process design  
1. For each product design, FBOs shall specify frying oil temperatures at 
the exit of the fryer. Those temperatures shall be as low as feasibly 
possible on a specific line and for the specific product, in line with 
quality and food safety standards and taking into account relevant factors  
such as  fryer manufacturer, fryer type, potato variety, total solids, potato 
size, growing conditions, sugar content, seasonality and the target 
moisture content for the product.  
2. Where the frying oil temperatures at the exit of the fryer  is higher than 
168°C due to a specific product , design  or technology, then the FBO s 
shall provide  data demonstrating that the level of acrylamide in the 
finished product is as l ow as reasonably achievable and  that the 
benchmark level  set out in Annex IV  is achieved .  
3. For each product design , FBOs  shall specify the moisture content  post 
frying which shall be set as high as feasibly possible for a specific 
production line and for a specific product, in accordance with expected 
quality and food safety standards and taking into account relevant factors  
such as potato va riety, seasonality, tuber size, and the fryer exit 
temperature. T he minimal mois ture content  shall not be lower than 1.0%.  
4. FBOs  shall use in -line colour sorting (manual and/or optical -electronic) 
for potato crisps post frying.  
(b) FRENCH FRIES AND OTHER CUT DEEP FRIED  OR OVEN -FRIED  
POTATO  PRODUCTS  
Recipe and Process design  
1. Potato es shall be tested for reducing sugars prior to use. This can be done 
by fry testing using colours as an indicator of potential high reducing 
sugar content: indicative fry testing 20 -25 centre strips, which are fried to 
evaluate frying colours of the  potato strips against the colour 
specification using a USDA Munsell colour chart or calibrated company -
specific charts for small operators. Alternatively the overall finished 
frying colour can be measured by specific equipment (e.g. Agtron).  
2. FBOs  shall remove immature tubers having a low underwater weight  and 
high reducing sugar levels. The removal can be  done by pass ing tubers 
through a salt brine  or similar systems which make immature tubers float  
or by pre -washing  potatoes to detect bad tubers.  EN 4   EN 3. FBOs  shall remove slivers right after cutting to avoid burned pieces in 
the final cooked product.  
4. FBOs  shall blanch potato strips to remove some of the reducing sugars 
from the outside of the strips .  
5. FBOs shall adapt blanching regimes to the specific quality attributes of 
the incoming raw material and they shall stay within specification limits 
for finished product colour.  
6. FBOs  shall prevent  (enzymatic) discolouration  and after cooking 
darkening  of potato  products . This can be  done by appl ying disodium 
diphosphate (E450), which also lowers the pH  level  of the washing water 
and inhibits the browning reaction.  
7. The use of reducing sugars as a browning agent shall be avoided. They 
may be used o nly if needed, to consistently stay within spec ification 
limits . FBOs shall control the colour of the final product by performing 
colour checks on the final cooked product. If needed after blanching, 
controlled addition of dextrose enables meeting the finished colour 
specification. Controlled addition of dextrose after blanching  results in 
lower acrylamide leve ls in the final cooked product  at the same colour  as 
observed in unblanched products with only naturally accumulated 
reducing sugars .  
Information to the end users  
1. For the end users, FBOs  shall indicate recommended cooking methods 
specifying time, temperature, quantity for oven/ deep fryer/ pan  on 
packaging and/or via other communication channels. For consumers the 
recommended cooking instructions shall be clearly displayed on all 
product packaging  in compliance with Regulation 1169/2011  of the 
European  Parliament and of the Council on the provision of food 
information to consumer s4. 
Recommended cooking methods shall be in agreement with customer 
specifications and requirements for professi onal end users and must be 
validated per product type to ensure products have optimal sensory 
quality at the lightest acceptable colour, per cooking method specified 
(e.g. fryer, oven)  and have levels of acrylamide below the benc hmark 
level determined in Annex  IV.  
FBOs  shall recommend to  end users  other than consumers that they 
should have tools available for the operators (e.g. chefs) to ensure good 
cooking methods and also provide calibrated equipment (e.g. timers, 
frying curves, colour grading charts ( e.g. USDA/Munsell) and at 
minimum, clear pictures with targeted final prepared product colours.  
                                                 
4 Regulation  (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament a nd of the Council of 25 October 2011 on 
the provision of food information to consumers, amending Regulations (EC) No 1924/2006 and (EC) 
No 1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Commission Directive 
87/250/EEC, Council Direc tive 90/496/EEC, Commission Directive 1999/10/EC, Directive 2000/13/EC 
of the European Parliament and of the Council, Commission Directives 2002/67/EC and 2008/5/EC and 
Commission Regulation (EC) No 608/2004, OJ L 304 22.11.2011, p. 18 . EN 5   EN 2. FBOs  shall recommend the end users  in particular to:  
– keep the temperature between 160 and 175°C when frying, and 
180-220°C when using an oven . Lower temper ature can be used 
when the fan is switched on ;  
– Preheat the cooking device (e.g. oven, air fryer) to correct 
temperature between 180 -220°C according to on -pack cooking 
instructions, depending on the products specifications and local 
requirements ; 
– cook potatoes until a golden yellow colour ;  
– do not overcook ; 
– turn oven products after 10 minutes or halfway through the total 
cooking time;  
– follow the recommended cooking instructions, as provided by the 
manufacturer;  
– when preparing smaller quantities  of potatoes  than indicated on 
pack, reduce the cooking time, to avoid excessive browning of the 
product;  
– do not overfill the frying basket; fill your basket up to the halfway 
mark to avoid excessive oil uptake by extended frying times.  
II. DOUGH -BASED  POTATO  CRISPS,  SNACKS , CRACKERS  AND  OTHER  
DOUGH -BASED  POTATO  PRODUCTS   
Raw Materials  
1. For each product , FBOs  shall specify target values for reducing sugars in their 
dehydrated potato ingredients .  
2. The target value  of reducing sugar s in the products concerned shall be set as 
low as feasibly possible, taking into account all relevant factors in the design 
and production of the finished product  such as the amount of potato ingredients 
in the product recipe, further possible mitigation me asures, further processing 
of the dough, seasonality  and the  moisture content in the finished product .  
3. Where the content of reducing sugar s is higher than 1.5% the FBOs  shall 
provide data demonstrating that the level of acrylamide in the finished product 
is as low as reasonably achievable below the benchmark level  set out in Annex 
IV. 
Recipe and Process Design  
1. Dehydrated potato ingredients shall be analysed prior to their use either by the 
supplier or the user to confirm that the sugar  content  does not exceed the 
specified level . 
2. Where dehydrated potato ingredients exceed the specified sugar level , FBOs 
shall specify the additional mitigation measures to be taken to ensure that the 
level of acrylamide in the final product is as low as reasonably achievable 
below  the benchmark level set out in Annex IV . EN 6   EN 3. For each product FBOs  shall review whether it is possible to utilise the partial 
replacement of potato ingredients with ingredients with lower acrylamide 
forming potential.  
4. In wet dough -based systems,  FBOs  shall  consider the use of the following 
substances  insofar possible , taking into account that these substances may not 
be synergistic in their mitigation effect i.e. specifically applies to the use of 
asparaginase and lowering  levels of  pH:  
– Asparaginase  
– Acids or their salts (to reduce the level of pH of the dough)  
– Calcium salts.  
5. Where dough -based potato crisps, snacks or crackers are fried, FBOs  shall 
specify frying oil temperatures for each product at the exit of the fryer , control 
these temperatures and maintain records to demonstrate controls.  
6. The oil temperature at the fryer exit shall be as low as feasibly possible on a 
specific line and for the specific product, in accordance with prescribed quality 
and food safety standards and taking into account relevant factors , such as the 
fryer manufacturer , fryer type, sugar content and the target moisture content for 
the product .  
Where the te mperature is higher than 175°C  at the fryer exit , FBO s shall 
provide  data demonstrating that the level of acrylamide in the finished product . 
is below the benchmark l evel specified in Annex IV .  
(Note: Most pellet products are fried at temperatures higher than 175 °C 
because of their very short frying time and the temperatures needed to achieve 
the required expansion and texture of these products) . 
7. Where dough -based potato crisps, snacks or crackers are baked, FBOs  shall 
specify for each product the baking temperature at the exit of the baking oven 
and maintain records to demonstrate controls.  
8. The temperature at the exit of the baking oven  /dryin g process shall be as low 
as feasibly possible on a specific line and for the specific product, in line with 
expected quality and food safety standards, and taking into account relevant 
factors such as the machinery type, reducing sugar content  of the raw material  
and the m oisture content of the product .  
9. Where the product temperature is higher than 175°C  at the end of the 
baking/drying process , the FBO s shall provide  data demonstrating that the 
level of acrylamide in the finished product is below the benchmark level  
specified in Annex IV . 
10. For each product , FBOs  shall specify the  moisture content post frying or 
baking  which  shall be set as high as feasibly possible on a specific production 
line and for a specific product, in line with the product qu ality and food safety 
requirements , and taking into account the fryer exit , baking  and drying 
temperature. The moisture content in the  final product  shall not be lower than 
1.0%.  EN 7   EN III. FINE  BAKERY  WARES  
The mitigation measures in this Chapter are applicable  to the fine bakery wares  such 
as cookies, biscuits, rusks, cereal bars, scones, cornets, wafers, crumpets and 
gingerbread, as well as unsweetened products such as crackers, crisp breads and 
bread substitutes. In this category a cracker is a dry biscuit (a  baked product based on 
cereal flour), e.g. soda crackers, rye crispbreads and matzot.  
Agronomy  
In case of contract farming, w here agricultural products are supplied to FBOs 
directly by their producers , FBOs shall ensure that the following requirements to 
prevent elevated asparagine levels in cereals  are applied : 
– to follow Good Agricultural Practices on fertilisation, in particular with regard 
to maintaining balanced sulphur levels in the soil and to ensure a correct 
nitrogen application ; 
– to follow Good Phytosanitary Practices in order to ensure the application of 
good practices on crop protection measures to prevent fungal infection.  
FBOs shall  carry out controls to  verify the e ffective application of the aforesaid 
requirements . 
Recipe an d Product Design  
In the manufacturing process FBOs shall apply the following mitigation measures:  
1. For relevant products, FBOs  shall consider reducing or replacing fully or 
partially  ammonium bicarbonate with alternative raising agents such as  
(a) sodium bicarbonate and acidulants , or 
(b) sodium bicarbonate and disodium diphosphates with organic acids or 
potassium variants thereof . 
As part of this consideration, FBO s shall ensure that the use of the said 
alternative raising agents do not  result in o rganoleptic changes (taste, 
appearance, texture etc.) or increase  the overall sodium content  which 
influence product identity and consumers acceptance.  
2. For products where the product design allows, FBOs  shall replace fructose or 
fructose -containing ing redients such as  syrups  and honey  with glucose or non -
reducing sugars  such as sucrose , particularly in recipes containing ammonium 
bicarbonate  where possible and taking into consideration that replacing 
fructose or other reducing sugars may result in a modified product identity due 
to loss of flavour and colour formation.  
3. FBOs  shall use asparaginase where effective and possible to reduce asparagine 
and mitigate the potential for acrylam ide formation . FBO s shall take into 
account that there is limited or no effect on the levels of acrylamide of the use 
of asparaginase in recipes with high fat content, low moisture or high pH value.  
4. Where a product characteristic allows, FBOs  shall  review whether it is possible 
to utilise the partial  replace ment of  wheat flour with alternative grain flour , 
such as rice , taking into consideration that any change will have an impact on 
the baking  process  and organoleptic properties  of the products . Differ ent types 
of grains have shown different levels of asparagine (typical asparagine levels  EN 8   EN are the highest in rye and in descending order  lower in oats, wheat , maize  and 
with the lowest levels in rice ). 
5. FBOs  shall take into account in the risk assessment the impact of ingredients  in 
the fine bakery wares that may raise  acrylami de levels in the final product, and 
use ingredients that do not have such effects  but maintain physical and 
organoleptic properties ( such as almonds roasted at lower rather than high er 
temperatures and dried fruits as fructose source ).  
6. FBOs shall ensure that suppliers of heat treated ingredients which are 
susceptible to acrylamide formation carry out an acrylamide risk assessment 
and implement the appropriate mitigation measures.  
7. FBOs shall ensure that a change in products  sourced from suppliers does not 
result in increased acrylamide levels in such cases . 
8. FBOs shall  consider to add organic acids  to the production process or decrease 
the levels of pH as far as possible and r easonable in combination with other 
mitigation measures  and taking into account that this can result in organoleptic 
changes (less browning, modification of taste) . 
Processing  
FBOs shall take the following mitigation measures in the manufacture of  fine bakery 
wares  and shall ensure that the measures taken are compatible with the product 
characteristics  and food safety requirements :  
1. FBO shall apply the heat input, i.e. time and temperature combination that is 
the most effective to reduce acrylam ide formation  while achieving the targeted 
product characteristics . 
2. FBOs  shall increase the moisture  content in the final product  in consideration 
of achieving the targeted product quality, the required shelf life and food safety 
standards.  
3. Products shall be  baked to a lighter colour endpoint in the final product  in 
consideration of achieving the targeted product quality, the required shelf life 
and food safety standards.  
4. In developing new products , FBOs  shall take into account in their risk 
assessment the size and surface area of a particular piece of product taking into 
account that small product size potentially leads to higher acrylamide levels  
due to heat impact.  
5. As certain ingredients used in the manuf acture of fine bakery wares could be 
heat treated several times (e.g. pre -processed cereal pieces, n uts, seeds, dried 
fruits, etc.) , which results in the r aise of acrylamide levels in final products , 
FBOs  shall adjust product and process design accordingly  to comply with the 
benchmark levels of acrylamide  set out in Annex IV. In particular the FBO s 
shall not use burnt products as rework.   
6. For product pre -mixes that are put on the market to be baked at home or in 
catering establishments,  FBOs shall provide preparation instructions  to their 
customers  to ensure that the acrylamide levels in the final products are as low 
as reasonably achievable below the benchmark levels . EN 9   EN IV. BREAKFAST  CEREALS   
Agronomy  
In case of contract farming, where ag ricultural products are supplied to FBOs 
directly by their producers, F BOs shall ensure that the following requirements to 
prevent elevated asparagine levels in cereals  are applied : 
– to follow Good Agricultural Practices on fertilisation, in particular with  regard 
to maintaining balanced sulphur levels in the soil and to ensure a correct 
nitrogen application;  
– to follow Good Phytosanitary Practices in order to ensure the application of 
good practices on crop protection measures to prevent fungal infection.  
FBOs shall carry out controls to verify the effective application of the aforesaid 
requirements.  
Recipe  
1. Given that products based on maize and rice tend to have less acrylamide than 
those made with wheat, rye, oats and barley,  FBOs shall consider using maize 
and rice in new product development  where applicable and taking into 
consideration that any change will have an impact on the manufacturing 
process and organoleptic properties of the products.  
2. FBOs shall  control the addition rates at the point of  addition of reducing sugars 
(e.g. f ructose  and glucose ) and ingredients containing reducing sugars (e.g. 
honey)  taking into consideration the ir impact on organoleptic properties and 
process functionalities (binding clusters  for cluster formation ) and whic h can 
act as precursors to acrylamide formation  when added prior to heat -treatment 
stages .  
3. FBO s shall take into account in the risk assessment the acrylamide contribution 
from heat -treated , dry ingredients , such as roasted  and toasted nuts and oven 
dried fruits , and use alternative ingredients  if the contribution is likely to bring 
the finished product above the  benchmark level specified in Annex IV . 
4. For heat -treated ingredients  which contain 150 micrograms of acrylamide per 
kilogram (µg/kg) or mo re, FBO s shall take the following actions :  
– to establish a register  of such ingredients ;  
– to carry out audits of suppliers and/or analyses ; 
– to ensure that no changes are made by the supplier of such ingredients 
that increase acrylamide levels .  
5. When the cereal is in a flour dough format and the manufacturing process 
allows a sufficient time, temperature and moisture content for  asparaginase to 
reduce asparagine levels, FBOs  shall use asparaginase where required provided 
there is no adverse  effect on flavour or risk of residual enzyme activity.  
Processing  
In the manufacture of breakfast cereals FBOs shall apply the following mitigation 
measures  and shall ensure that the measures taken are compatible with the product 
characteristics and food  safety requirements :  EN 10   EN 1. FBOs  shall identify , by means of risk assessment, the critical heat -treatment 
step(s) in the manufacturing process that generate(s)  acrylamide .  
2. As higher heating temperatures and longer heating times generate higher 
acrylamide  levels , FBOs  shall identify an effective combination of temperature 
and heating times to minimise acrylamide formation without compromising the 
taste, texture, colour, safety and shelf -life of the product.  
3. To avoid the generation of acrylamide  spikes , FBO s shall control h eating 
temperatures, times and feed -rates in order to achieve  the following  minimum 
moisture content in the final product after the final heat treatment  in 
consideration of achieving the targeted product quality, the required shelf life 
and food safety standards :  
– toasted products: 1 g/100 g for extruded products, 1 g/100 g for batch 
cooked products, 2 g/100 g for steam rolled products ;  
– direct expanded p roducts: 0,8 g/100 g for extruded products ;  
– baked products: 2 g/100 g for continuously cooked products ;  
– filled products: 2 g/100 g for extruded products ;  
– other drying: 1 g/100 g for batch cooked products, 0,8 g/100 g for gun 
puffed products .  
FBOs shall  measure the moisture content and express acrylamide concentration 
in a dry mass to eliminate the confounding effect of moisture changes.  
4. Reworking product  back through the process has the potential to generate 
higher acrylamide levels through repeated exposure to the heat -treatments 
steps. FBOs  therefore  shall assess the impact of rework on acrylamide levels 
and reduce or eliminat e rework.  
5. FBOs  shall have procedures in place , such as temperature controls and 
monitoring , to prevent the incidence of burnt product s. 
V. COFFEE   
Recipe  
In considering coffee blend composition FBO s shall take into account in the risk 
assessment that products based on Robusta beans tend to have  higher acrylamide 
levels than products based on Arabica beans .  
Processing  
1. FBOs  shall identify the critical roast conditions  to ensure minimal acrylamide 
formation within the target flavour profile.  
2. Control of roast conditions shall be incorporated into a Pre -requisite Program 
(PRP) as part of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).  
3. FBO s shall consider the use of asparaginase treatment , insofar possible and 
effective to reduce the presence of acrylamide . EN 11   EN VI. COFFEE  SUBSTITUTES  CONTAINING  MORE  THAN  50%  CEREALS  
Agronomy  
In case of contract farming, where agricultural products are supplied to FBOs 
directly by their producers, FBOs shall ensure that the following requirements to 
prevent elevated asparagine levels i n cereals  are applied : 
– to follow Good Agricultural Practices on fertilisation, in particular with regard 
to maintaining balanced sulphur levels in the soil and to ensure a correct  
nitrogen application;  
– to follow Good Phytosanitary Practices in order to ens ure the application of 
good practices on crop protection measures to prevent fungal infection.  
FBOs shall carry out controls to verify the effective application of the aforesaid 
requirements.  
Recipe  
1. Given that products based on maize and rice tend to have less acrylamide than 
those made with wheat, rye, oats  and barley, FBOs shall  consider using maize 
and rice  in the new product development  where applicable , taking into 
consideration that any change will have an impact on the manufacturing 
process and organoleptic properties of the product.  
2. FBOs shall control the addition ra tes at the point of addition of  reducing sugars 
(e.g. fructose and glucose) and ingredients containing reducing sugars (e.g. 
honey) taking into consideration the impact on organo leptic properties and 
process functionalities (binding clusters) and which can act as precursors to 
acrylamide formation when added prior to heat -treatment stages.  
3. If coffee substitutes are not made exclusively from cereal s, FBOs shall use  of 
other ingredients  which result in lower levels of acrylamide after high 
temperature processing where applicable .  
Processing  
1. FBOs shall identify the critical roast conditions to ensu re minimal acrylamide 
formation  within the target flavour profile.  
2. Control of roast conditions shall be incorporated into a Pre -requisite Program 
(PRP) as part of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).  
VII. COFFEE  SUBSTITUTES  CONTAINING  MORE  THAN  50%  CHICORY  
1. FBOs shall  purchase only cultivars low in asparagine and FBOs sh all ensure  
that no late and excessive nitrogen application has taken place during the 
growth of chicory.  
Recipe  
2. If coffee substitutes are not made exclusively from chicory  namely, chicory 
content i s less than 100% and more than 50%, FBO s shall add other 
ingredients , such as chicory fibr es, roasted cereals, as these have been shown to 
be effective to reduce the acrylamide content  in the final p roduct.  EN 12   EN Processing  
1. FBOs shall identify the critical roast conditions to ensure minimal acrylamide 
formation within the target flavour profile. Conclusions shall be documented.  
2. Control of roast conditions shall be incorporated into the manufacturer’s food 
safety managemen t system.  
VIII.  BABY  BISCUITS  AND  INFANT  CEREALS5 
In case of contract farming, where agricultural products are supplied to FBOs 
directly by their producers, FBOs shall ensure that the following requirements to 
prevent elevated asparagine levels in cereals  are applied : 
– to follow Good Agricultural Practices on fertilisation, in particular with regard 
to maintaining  balanced sulphur levels in the soil and to ensure a correct 
nitrogen application;  
– to follow Good Phytosanitary Practices in order to ensure the a pplication of 
good practices on crop protection measures to prevent fungal infection.  
FBOs shall carry out controls to verify the effective application of the aforesaid 
requirements.  
Product Design, Processing and Heating  
1. FBOs shall use asparaginase t o reduce the levels of asparagine in the flour raw 
material  insofar possible . FBOs  that cannot use asparaginase due to , for 
example the processing  requirements or product design, shall use flour raw 
material low in acrylamide precursors , such as fructose and glucose  and 
asparagine .  
2. FBOs  shall make an assessment during recipe development that provides 
information on reducing sugars and asparagine, and includes options on 
achieving low reducing sugars in the final recipe. This need for this assessment 
will be dependent on use of asparaginase in the recipe . 
3. FBOs  shall ensure that  heat treated ingredients which are susceptible to 
acrylamide formation are obtained from suppliers that are able to demonstrate 
that they have taken the appropriate mitigation measures to reduce the presence 
of acrylamide in those ingredients .  
4. FBOs shall have a change control procedure in place to ensure that they do not 
make any supplier changes that increase acrylamide.  
5. If the use of heat -treated raw  materials  and ingredients  results in that in the 
final product the acrylamide benchmark  level specified in Annex IV  is 
exceeded, FBOs shall review the use of those products in view of achieving 
levels of acrylamide as low as reasonably achievable below the benchmark 
level set out in Annex IV .  
                                                 
5 As defined in Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 
2013 on food intended for infants and young children, food for special medical purposes, and total diet 
replacement for weight control and repealing Council Directive 92/52/E EC, Commission Directives 
96/8/EC, 1999/21/EC, 2006/125/EC and 2006/141/EC, Directive 2009/39/EC of the European 
Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulations (EC) No 41/2009 and (EC) No 953/2009 
(OJ L  181, 29.6.2013, p. 35) . EN 13   EN Recipe  
1. Given that products based on maize and rice tend have less acrylamide than 
those made with wheat, rye, oats and barley, FBOs shal l consider using maize 
and rice  in new product development  where applicable  taking into 
consideration that any change will have an impact on the manufacturing 
process and organoleptic properties of the product . 
2. FBOs shall take into account , in particular in their risk assessment, that 
products based on wholegrain cereals and/or with high levels of cereal bran 
have higher levels of acrylamide.  
3. FBOs shall control the addition ra tes at the point of addition of  reducing sugars 
(e.g. fructose and glucose) and ingredients containing reduc ing sugars (e.g. 
honey) taking into consideration the impact on organoleptic properties and 
process functionalities (binding clusters) and which can act as precursors to 
acrylamide formation when added prior to heat -treatment stages.  
4. FBO shall determin e the acrylamide contribution from heat -treated  and dry 
ingredients, such as roasted and toasted nuts and oven dried fruits, and use 
alternative ingredients if the use of those ingredients  bring s the finished 
product above the benchmark level specified in Annex IV.  
Processing  
1. FBOs shall identify, by means of risk assessment, the critical heat -treatment 
step(s) in the manufacturing process that generate(s) acrylamide .  
2. FBOs shall measure the moisture content and express acrylamide concentration 
in a d ry mass to eliminate the confounding effect of moisture changes.  
3. FBOs shall identify  and apply  an effective combination of temperature and 
heating times to minimise acrylamide formation without compromising the 
taste, texture, colour, safety and shelf -life of the product.  
4. FBO s shall control heating temperatures, times and feed -rates. Feed -rate and 
temperature control measurement systems should be calibrated regularly and 
these operating conditions controlled within set limits. These tasks shall be 
incorporated into the HACCP procedures.  
5. Monitoring and controlling product moisture c ontent after the critical heat -
treatment steps has proved to be effective in controlling acrylamid e levels in 
some processes and therefore, in these circumstances, this process can be an 
adequate alternative to controlling heating temperatures and times, h ence shall 
be employed.  EN 14   EN IX. BABY  JAR  FOODS  (LOW -ACID  AND  PRUNE -BASED  FOODS)6  
1. For the production of baby jar foods, FBOs  shall choose raw material s with 
low acrylamide precursor content, e.g. reducing sugars such as fructose and 
glucose  and asparagine.  
2. In case of contract farming, where agricultural products are supplied to FBOs 
directly by their producers, FBOs shall ensure that the following requirements 
to prevent elevated asparagine levels in cereals  are applied : 
– to follow Good Agricultural Practices on fertilisation, in particular with 
regard to maintaining balanced sulphur levels in the soil and to ensure a 
correct nitrogen application;  
– to follow Good Phytosanitary Practices in order to ensure the application 
of good practices on crop protection measures to prevent fungal 
infection.  
FBOs shall carry out controls to verify the effective application of the aforesaid 
requirements.  
3. In prune purée purchase contracts FBOs shall inclu de requirements which 
ensure that heat treatment regimes in the prune purée manufacturing process 
are applied that aim to reduce the occurrence of acrylamide  in that product .  
4. FBOs shall ensure that heat treated ingredients which are susceptible to 
acrylamide formation are obtained fro m suppliers that are able to demonstrate 
that they have taken  the mitigation measures to reduce the presence of 
acrylamide in those ingredients.  
5. If the use of heat - treated raw materials and ingredients  results in that in the 
final product the benchmark  level  of acrylamide  specified in Annex IV is 
exceeded, FBOs shall review the use of those materials and ingredients in view 
of achieving levels of acrylamide as low as reasonably achievable below the 
bench mark level set out in Annex IV.  
Recipe  
1. FBOs  shall take into account in the risk assessment  of acrylamide  in the 
foodstuffs concerned  that products based on wholegrain cereals and/or with 
high levels of cereal bran have higher levels of acrylamide . 
2. FBOs  shall choose varieties of sweet potatoes and p runes which are as low as 
possible in acrylamide precursors , such as reducing sugars (e.g. fructose and 
glucose ) and asparagine.  
3. FBOs shall control the addition rat es at the point of addition of reducing sugars 
(e.g. fructose and glucose) and ingredien ts containing reducing sugars (e.g. 
honey) added for organoleptic reasons and process functionalities (binding 
clusters) and which can act as precursors to acrylamide formation when added 
prior to heat -treatment stages.  
                                                 
6 As defined in Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 
2013 on food intended for infants and young children, food for special medical purposes, and total diet 
replacement for weight control and repealing Council Directive 92/52/E EC, Commission Directives 
96/8/EC, 1999/21/EC, 2006/125/EC and 2006/141/EC, Directive 2009/39/EC of the European 
Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulations (EC) No 41/2009 and (EC) No 953/2009 
(OJ L  181, 29.6.2013, p. 35) . EN 15   EN Processing  
1. FBOs  shall identify the key heat -treatment step(s) in the process that 
generate(s) the most acrylamide in order to focus further acrylamide 
reduction/control efforts most effectively. This has to be achieved either via a 
risk assessment or by directly measurin g the acrylamide levels in the product 
before and after each heat -treatment step.  
2. To avoid the generation of acrylamide spikes, FBO shall control heating 
temperatures, times and feed -rates. Feed -rate and temperature control 
measurement systems should b e calibrated regularly and these operating 
conditions controlled within set limits. These tasks shall be incorporated into 
the HACCP procedures . 
3. FBOs shall ensure that  the lowering of thermal input to reduce acrylamide in 
low acid and prune based foods  do not affect  microbiological safety of  the 
foodstuffs concerned .  
X. BREAD   
Agronomy  
In case of contract farming, where agricultural products are supplied to FBOs 
directly by their producers, F BOs shall ensure that the following requirements to 
prevent el evated asparagine levels in cereals  are applied : 
– to follow Good Agricultural Practices on fertilisation, in particular with regard 
to maintaining balanced sulphur levels in the soil and to ensure a correct 
nitrogen application;  
– to follow Good Phytosanitary  Practices in order to ensure the application of 
good practices on crop protection measures to prevent fungal infection.  
FBOs shall carry out controls to verify the effective application of the aforesaid 
requirements.  
Product design, processing and heating  
1. FBOs shall ensure that bread  is baked to a lighter colour endpoint to reduce 
acrylamide formation taking into account  individual product design and 
technical possibilities.  
2. FBO s shall extend  the yeast fermenta tion time taking into account the product 
design a nd the technical possibilities.  
3. FBOs shall lower thermal input by optimising baking temperature and time  
insofar possible .  
4. FBO s shall provide baking instructions for bread that is to be finished at h ome, 
in bake -off areas, retail shops or in catering establishments .  
5. FBO s shall substitute ingredients that have the potential to raise acrylamide 
levels in the final product where this is compatible with product design and 
technical possibilities , that includes for instance the use of nuts and seeds 
roasted at lower rather than higher temperatures.  
6. FBO s shall replace  fructose with glucose particularly in recipes containing 
ammonium bicarbonate (E503) where the product design allows  and insofar EN 16   EN possible . That includes,  for instance , replacing invert sugar syrup and honey, 
which contain higher levels of fructose, with glucose syrup.  
7. In products with low moisture content, FBO s shall use asparaginase to reduce 
aspar agine  insofar possible and taki ng into account product recipe, ingredients, 
moisture content and  process.  
 EN 17   EN ANNEX II  
PART A  
MITIGATION MEASURES TO BE APPLIED BY FOOD BUSINESS OPERATORS 
(FBOs) REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 2 (2) 
1. FBOs producing potato products  shall apply the following mitigation measures:  
– French fries and other cut (deep fried) potato products :  
– Potato varieties with lower sugar content shall be used , when available 
and insofa r as compatible with the desired food product to be obtained . In 
this respect the provider  shall be consulted for best suited potato 
varieties . 
– Potatoes shall be stored at a temperature higher than 6°C.  
– Before the frying process:  
Except for frozen potato products for which cooking instructions shall be 
followed, one of the following measures shall be taken with raw French fries to 
reduce the sugar content, where possible and insofar as compatible with the 
desired food product to be  obtained:  
– Washing and soak ing preferably for 30 minutes up to 2 hours in cold 
water. Rinse the strips  in clean water before frying.  
– Soaking f or a few minutes in warm water . Rinse the strips in clean water 
before frying.  
– Blanching of potatoes results in lower levels of acrylamide and therefore 
where possible, it is appropriate to blanch potatoes . 
– When frying French fries  or other potato products : 
– Frying  oils and fats shall be used which allows to fry quicker and/or at 
lower temperatures . Cooking oil suppl iers shall be consulted  for the best 
suited oil s and fats .  
– Frying temperature s shall be below 175°C  and in any case  as low as 
possible taking into accou nt the food safety requirements . 
– Frying oil s and fats  quality  shall be maintained by skim ming frequently 
to remove fines and crumbs.  
For the cooking of French fries, it is appropriate that the FBOs make use of available 
colour guides providing guidance on the optimal combination of colour and low 
levels of acrylamide.  
It is appropriate that a  colour guide providing guidance on the optimal combination 
of colour and low levels of acrylamide is visibly displayed at the premises to the staff 
preparing the food.  
2. FBOs  producing bread and fine bakery wares shall  use the following  mitigation 
measures  in the baking process : 
– Insofar possible and compatible with the production process  and hy giene 
requirements : 
– the exten sion of yeast fermentation time ; EN 18   EN – the moisture content of the dough for the production of a product  with 
low moisture content, shall be optimised ; 
– the lowering of oven temperature and the extension cooking time.  
Products shall be baked to a lighter colour endpoint  and dark roasting of crust  shall 
be avoided in case the dark colour of the crust is the result  of the strong roasting and 
not related to the specific composition or nature of the bread result ing in a dark crust.  
3. When preparing sandwiches , the FBOs shall ensure that  sandwiches are toasted  to 
the optimal colour . It is appropriate that colour guides developed for specific product 
types , when available, providing guidance on the optimal combination of colour and 
low levels of acrylamide  are used when producing these specific products . When 
using pre -packed bread or bakery products which are to be finished , cooking 
instructions  are followed .  
The abovementioned colour guide  providing guidance on the optimal combination of 
colour and low levels of acrylamide  shall be visibly displayed at the premises to the 
staff preparing the specific food. 
PART B  
MITIGATION MEASURES TO BE APPLIED BY FOOD BUSINESS OPERATORS  
REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE  2(3) IN ADDITION TO THE MITIGATION 
MEASURES REFERRED TO IN PART A  
1. General requirement  
FBOs  shall  accept products  referred to in Article 1(2) of this Regulation  only from 
FBOs  that have implemented all mitigation measures set out  in Annex I to this 
Regulation.  
2. French fries and other cut (deep  fried) potato products  
FBOs  shall  
– follow the instructions on storage  of provided by the FBOs  or the suppliers or 
provided for in the relevant mitigation measures in Annex I ; 
– work with Standard Operational Procedures and calibrated fryers equipped 
with computerised timers and programmed to standard settings (time -
temperature);  
– monitor the level of acrylamide in finished products to verify that the 
mitigation measures are effective in keeping acrylamide levels below the 
benchmark level.  
3. Bakery products  
FBOs  shall :  
–  monitor the level of acrylamide in finished products to verify that the 
mitigation measures are effective in keeping acrylamide levels  below the 
benchmark level.  EN 19   EN 4. Coffee  
FBOs  shall :  
– ensure that the level of acrylamide in supplied coffee is lower than the 
benchmark level specified in Annex IV taking into acc ount however that this 
may not be possible for all coffee types depending on blend and roast 
characteristics . In these cases a justification is provided by the supplier.  EN 20   EN ANNEX III  
SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS  REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MONITORING 
REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 4 
(I) Sampling  
(1) The sample shall be representative for the sampled batch.  
(2) FBOs shall ensure that they undertake representative sampling and analysis of 
their products for the presence of acrylamide to verify the effectiveness of 
mitigation measures, i.e. the levels of acrylamide are consistently below the 
benchmark levels.  
(3) FBOs shall ensure that a representative sample of each product type is taken 
for analysis of acrylamide concentration. A “product type” includes groups of 
products with the same or similar ingredients, recipe design, process design 
and/or process controls where these have a potential influence acrylamide 
levels in the finished product. Monitoring programmes shall prioritise product 
types that have the demonstrated potential to exceed the benchmark level  and 
shall be risk -based where further mitigation measu res are feasible .  
(II) Analysis  
(1) FBOs shall provide sufficient data to enable an assessment of the level of 
acrylamide and of the likelihood that the product type might exceed the 
benchmark level.  
(2) The sample shall be analysed in a laboratory that  participate s in appropriate 
proficiency testing schemes  (which comply with the ‘International Harmonised 
Protocol for the Proficiency Testing of (Chemical) Analytical Laboratories’7 
developed under the auspices of IUPAC/ISO/AOAC) and uses approved 
analytic al methods for detection and quantification.  Laboratories shall be able 
to demonstrate that they have internal quality control procedures in place. 
Examples of these are the ‘ISO/ AOAC/IUPAC Guidelines on Internal Quality 
Control in Analytical Chemistry La boratories’8.  
Wherever possible the trueness of analysis shall be estimated by including 
suitable certified reference materials in the analysis.  
(3) The method of analysis used for the analysis of acrylamide must comply with 
the following performance crit eria  
Parameter  Criterion  
Applicability  Foods specified in this Regulation  
Specificity  Free from matrix or spectral interferences  
Field blanks  Less than Limit of Detection (LOD)  
Repeatability (RSD r )  0.66 times RSD R as derived from (modified) 
Horwitz equation  
Reproducibility (RSD R) as derived from (modified) Horwitz equation  
Recovery  75-110 %  
                                                 
7 M. Thompson  et al, Pure and Appl ied Chem istry, 2006 , 78, pp. 145 -196. 
8 Edited by M. Thompson and R. Wood, Pure and Appl ied Chem istry, 1995, 67, pp. 649-666. EN 21   EN Limit of Detection (LOD)  Three tenths of LOQ  
Limit of Quantification (LOQ)  For benchmark level < 125 µg/kg: ≤ t wo fifths of 
the benchmark level  (however not required to be 
lower than 20 µg/kg)   
For benchmark level ≥ 125 µg/kg: ≤ 50 µg/kg  
 
(4) Analysis of acrylamide can be replaced by measurement of product attributes 
(e.g. colour) or process parameters provided that a stati stical correlation can be 
demonstrated between the product attributes or process parameters and the 
acrylamide level.  
(III) Frequency of s ampling  
(1) FBOs shall, undertake sampling and analysis at least annually for products that 
have a known and well-controlled acrylamide level. FBOs shall carry out 
higher frequency sampling and analysis of products having the potential to 
exceed the benchmark level  and shall be risk -based where further mitigation 
measures are feasible .  
(2) Based on this assessme nt referred to in point II(1) of this Annex , the FBO s 
shall specify appropriate frequencies for analysis for each product type. The 
assessment shall be repeated if a product or process is modified in a way that 
could lead to a change in the acrylamide leve l in the final product.  
(IV) Mitigation  
If the analytical result, corrected for recovery but not taking into account the 
measurement uncertainty, indicates that a product has exceeded the benchmark level , 
or contains acrylamide at a level higher than ant icipated (taking into account 
previous analyses,  but lower than the benchmark level ), then the FBO s shall carry 
out a review  of the mitigation measures applied  and shall take additional available 
mitigation measures to ensure that acrylamide level in the finished product is below 
the benchmark level . This must be demonstrated by the undertaking of a new 
representative sampling and analysis, after the introduction of the additional 
mitigation measur es. 
(V) Information to competent authorities  
FBO s shall make the analytical results obtained from the analysis every year 
available on request to the competent authority together with descriptions of the 
products analysed. Details of  mitigation measures ta ken to reduce levels of 
acrylamide below the benchmark level shall be provided for those products 
exceeding the  benchmark level.  EN 22   EN ANNEX IV  
BENCHMARK  LEVELS  REF ERRED TO IN ARTICLE 1(1)  
Benchmark levels  for the presence of acrylamide in foodstuffs  referred to in Article 1( 1) are 
as follows:   
Food  Benchmark  level  
[µg/kg]  
French fries (ready -to-eat) 500 
Potato crisps from fresh 
potatoes and from potato 
dough  
Potato -based crackers  
Other potato products from 
potato dough  750 
Soft bread  
(a) Wheat based bread  
(b) Soft bread other than 
wheat based bread   
50 
100 
Breakfast cereals (excl. 
porridge)  
- bran products and whole 
grain cereals, gun puffed 
grain  
- wheat and rye based 
products (*)  
- maize, oat, spelt, barley 
and rice based products 
(*)  
(*) non-whole grain and/or 
non-bran based cereals. 
The cereal present in the 
largest quantity 
determines the category.   
 
300 
 
 
300 
 
150 
 
  EN 23   EN Biscuits and wafers  
Crackers with the exception 
of potato based crackers  
Crispbread  
Ginger bread  
Products similar to the other 
products in this category  350 
400 
 
350 
800 
300 
Roast  coffee  400 
Instant (soluble) coffee  850 
Coffee substitutes  
(a) coffee substitutes 
exclusively from cereals   
(b) coffee substitutes from a 
mixture of cereals and 
cichory  
(c) coffee substitutes 
exclusively from cichory  
(*) the benchmark level to be 
applied to coffee substitutes 
from a mixture of cereals and 
cichory  takes into account the 
relative proportion of these 
ingredients in the final 
product.   
500 
 
(*) 
 
 
4000  
Baby foods , processed cereal 
based foods for infants and 
young children  excluding 
biscuits and rusks9,  40 
Biscuits and rusks for infants 
and young children10 150 
 
                                                 
9 As defined in Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 
2013 on food i ntended for infants and young children, food for special medical purposes, and total diet 
replacement for weight control and repealing Council Directive 92/52/EEC, Commission Directives 
96/8/EC, 1999/21/EC, 2006/125/EC and 2006/141/EC, Directive 2009/39/EC  of the European 
Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulations (EC) No 41/2009 and (EC) No 953/2009 
(OJ L  181, 29.6.2013, p. 35) . 
10 As defined in Regulation (EU) No 609/2013  referred to above.