COMMISSION REGUL ATION (EU) 2017/2158 
of 20 November 2017 
establishing mitigation measures and benchmark levels for the reduction of the presence of 
acrylamide in food 
(Text with EEA relevance) 
THE EUR OPEAN COMMISSION, 
Having regar d to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, 
Having rega rd to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 Apr il 2004 on the 
hygiene of foodstuffs (1), and in particular Article 4(4) thereof, 
Whereas: 
(1)  Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 aims to ensure a high level of consumer prot ection with regar d to food safety . It 
defines ‘food hygiene ’ as a set of measures and conditions necessar y to control hazards and to ensure fitness for 
human consum ption of a foodstuff taking into account its intende d use. Food safety hazards occur when food is 
exposed to hazardous agents which result in contamination of that food. Food hazards may be biological, 
chemical or physical. 
(2)  Acrylamide is a contaminant as defined in Council Regulation (EEC) No 315/93 (2) and as such, it is a chemical 
hazard in the food chain. 
(3)  Acrylamide is a low molecular weight, highly water soluble, organic compound which forms from the naturally 
occur ring constituents asparagine and sugars in certain foods when prepared at temperatures typically higher 
than 120 °C and low moisture. It forms mainly in baked or fried carboh ydrate-r ich foods where raw mater ials 
contain its precursors, such as cereals, potatoes and coffee beans. 
(4)  As the acrylamide levels in some foodstuffs appear to be significantly higher than the levels in compar able 
products of the same product catego ry, a Commission Recommendation 2013/647/EU (3) invited Member States' 
compet ent author ities to carry out investigations in the production and processing methods used by food 
business operators if the acrylamide level found in a specif ic foodstuff exceed ed the indicative values set out in 
the Annex to that Recommendation. 
(5)  In 2015 the Scientifi c Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONT AM) of the European Food Safety 
Author ity (‘the Authority’) adop ted an opinion on acrylamide in food (4). Based on animal studies, the Author ity 
confir ms previous evaluations that acrylamide in food pote ntially increases the risk of developing cancer for 
consumers in all age groups. Since acrylamide is present in a wide range of ever yday foods, this concer n applies 
to all consumers but children are the most exposed age group on a body weight basis. Possible harmful effects of 
acrylamide on the nervous syste m, pre- and post-natal development and male reproduction were not considered 
to be a concer n, based on current levels of dietar y exposure. The current levels of dietar y exposure to acrylamide 
across age groups indicate a concer n with respect to its carcinogenic effects. 
(6)  Given the Author ity's conclusions with respect to carcinogenic effects of acrylamide and in the absence of any 
consiste nt and mandatory measures to be applied by food businesses in order to lower levels of acrylamide, it is 
necessar y to ensure food safety and to reduce the presence of acrylamide in foodstuffs where raw mate rials 
contain its precursors by laying down appropr iate mitig ation measures. The levels of acrylamide can be lowered 
by mitig ation approach , such as imple mentation of good hygiene practice and application of procedures based on 
hazard analysis and critical control point (HA CCP) principles. 21.11.2017 L 304/24 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     
(1)OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 1. 
(2)Council Regulation (EEC) No 315/93 of 8 Febr uary 1993 laying down Community procedures for contaminants in food (OJ L 37, 
13.2.1993, p. 1). 
(3)Commission Recommendation 2013/647/EU of 8 November 2013 on investig ations into the levels of acrylamide in food (OJ L 301, 
12.11.2013, p. 15). 
(4)The EFSA Jour nal 2015;13(6):4104. (7)  In accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, food business operat ors are to follow the 
procedures necessar y to meet targets set to achi eve the objectives of that Regulation and to emplo y sampling and 
analysis as appropr iate to maintain their own perf ormance. In that respect, the setting of targets, such as 
benc hmark levels, may guide the implementation of hygiene rules, while ensur ing the reduction of the level of 
exposure to certain hazards. Mitigation measures would lower the presence of acrylamide in food. In order to 
check the compl iance with the benc hmark levels the effectiveness of mitig ation measures should be verified 
through sampli ng and analysis. 
(8)  It is theref ore appropr iate to establish mitig ation measures which identify food processing steps suscep tible to the 
formation of acrylamide in foods and set out activities to reduce the levels of acrylamide in those foodstuffs. 
(9)  The mitig ation measures set out in this Regulation are based on current scientifi c and technical knowledg e 
and they have proven to result in lower levels of acrylamide without adversely affecting the quality and microbial 
safety of the product. Those mitig ation measures have been established followi ng extensi ve consultation of 
organisations representing affect ed food business operators, consumers and exper ts from compe tent author ities 
of Member States. Where the mitig ation measures include the use of food additives and other substances, the 
food additives and other substances should be used in accordance with their author isation of use. 
(10)  Benc hmark levels are performa nce indicators to be used to verify the effectiveness of the mitigation measures and 
are based on exper ience and occur rence for broad food catego ries. They should be established at a level as low as 
reasonably achi evable with the application of all relevant mitig ation measures. The benchmark levels should be 
determined taking into account the most recent occur rence data from the Auth ority's database, whereby it is 
assumed that within a broad food catego ry, the level of acrylamide in 10 % to 15 % of the production with the 
highest levels can usually be lowered by applying good practices. It is ackn owledged that the specifi ed food 
catego ries are in certain cases broad and that for specific foods within such a broad food cate gory there may be 
specific production, geographic or seasonal conditions or product charact eristics for whic h it is not possible to 
achi eve the benc hmark levels despite the application of all mitig ation measures. In such situations, the food 
business operat or should be able to show the evidence that he applied the relevant mitig ation measures. 
(11)  The benc hmark levels should be regularly reviewed by the Commission with the aim to set lowe r levels, 
reflecting the continuous reduction of the presence of acrylamide in food. 
(12)  Food business operat ors, producing foodstuffs within the scope of this Regulation and whic h perform retail 
activities and/or directly supply only local retail establishments are typically small scale operat ors. Theref ore, 
mitig ation measures are adapt ed to the nature of their operation. Howe ver, food business operators whic h are 
part of, or franchises of, a larger, inter connected operation and that are centrally supplied should apply additional 
mitig ation measures practicable for larger -scale businesses as those measures further reduce the presence of 
acrylamide in food and are feasible to be applied by such under takings. 
(13)  The effectiveness of the mitig ation measures to reduce the acrylamide content should be verified through 
samp ling and analysis. It is appropr iate to determine requirements for the sampling and analysis that has to be 
performed by the food business operat ors. As regards sam pling, analytical requirements and frequency of 
samp ling should be established in order to ensure that the obtained analytical results are representative for their 
production. Food business operat ors, producing foodstuffs within the scope of this Regulation and which 
perform retail activities and/or directly supply only local retail establishments are exem pted from the oblig ation 
to sam ple and analyse their production for the presence of acrylamide as such a requirement would put a dispro ­
portionate burden on their business. 
(14)  In addition to sampling and analysis by the business operat ors, Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European 
Parliament and of the Council (1) requires the Member States to regularly perform official controls to ensure 
compl iance with feed and food law. The sam pling and analysis performe d by the Member States in the context of 
official controls should compl y with the sampling procedures and analytical criteria established in application of 
Regulation (EC) No 882/2004. 
(15)  Com plementar y to the measures provi ded for in this Regulation, the setting of maximum levels for acrylamide in 
certain foods should be considered in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 315/93 followi ng the entr y into 
force of this Regulation. 21.11.2017 L 304/25 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     
(1)Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 Apr il 2004 on official controls perfor med to ensure 
the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules (OJ L 165, 30.4.2004, p. 1). (16)  The imple mentation of the mitig ation measures by food business operat ors might involve change s to their 
current production process theref ore, it is appropr iate to provide for a transitional period before the measures 
provid ed for in this Regulation apply . 
(17)  The measures provi ded for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on 
Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGUL ATION: 
Article 1 
Scope 
1. Without prejudice to the applicable provis ions of the Union law in food area, food business operat ors which 
produce and place on the mark et foodstuffs listed in paragraph 2 shall in accordance with Article 2 apply the mitig ation 
measures set out in Annex es I and II, in view of achi eving levels of acrylamide as low as reasonably achievable below the 
benc hmark levels set out in Annex IV. 
2. Foodstuffs refer red to in paragraph 1 are as follo ws: 
(a)  French fries, other cut (deep fried) products and sliced potat o crisps from fresh potatoes ; 
(b)  potato crisps, snacks, crack ers and other potato products from potato dough; 
(c)  bread; 
(d)  breakf ast cereals (excluding porridge); 
(e)  fine bake ry wares: cookies, biscuits, rusks, cereal bars, scones, cornets, wafers, crumpe ts and ginger bread, as well as 
crack ers, crisp breads and bread substitut es. In this catego ry a crack er is a dry biscuit (a baked product based on 
cereal flour); 
(f)  coffee : 
(i)  roast coffee; 
(ii)  instant (soluble) coffee ; 
(g)  coffee substitutes; 
(h)  baby food and, processed cereal-based food intende d for infants and young children as defined in Regulation (EU) 
No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1). 
Article 2 
Mitigation measures 
1. Food business operat ors, whic h produce and place on the market foodstuffs listed in Article 1(2) shall apply 
mitig ation measures provid ed for in Annex I. 
2. By way of derogat ion from paragraph 1, food business operat ors producing foodstuffs listed in Article 1(2), which 
perform retail activities, and/or directly supply only local retail establishments shall apply mitig ation measures provid ed 
for in Part A of Annex II. 
3. Food business operat ors referred to in paragraph 2 which operate in facilities under direct control and that are 
operating under one trademark or commercial license, as a part of, or franchise of, a larger, interconnected operation 
and under the instr uctions of the food business operat or that centrally supplies the foodstuffs referred to in Article 1(2), 
shall apply additional mitig ation measures set out in Part B of Annex II. 
4. When the benchmark levels are excee ded, food business operat ors shall review the mitig ation measures applied 
and adjust processes and controls with the aim to achieve levels of acrylamide as low as reasonable achi evable below the 
benc hmark levels set out in Annex IV. Food business operat ors shall hereby take into account the safety of foodstuffs, 
specific production and geographic conditions or product charact eristics. 21.11.2017 L 304/26 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     
(1)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/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). Article 3 
Def initions 
For the purposes of this Regulation, the followi ng definitions shall apply:  
(1) the definitions of ‘food’ , ‘food business operator ’, ‘retail’ ‘placing on the mark et’ and ‘final consumer ’ laid down in 
Articles 2 and 3 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1);  
(2) ‘benchmark levels ’ means performa nce indicators used to verify the effectiveness of the mitig ation measures and are 
based on exper ience and occur rence for broad food categor ies. 
Article 4 
Sampling and analysis 
1. Food business operat ors referred to in Article 2(1) shall establish a programme for their own sam pling and 
analysis of the levels of acrylamide in the foodstuffs listed in Article 1(2). 
2. Food business operat ors refer red to in Article 2(1) shall keep a record of the applied mitig ation measures set out in 
Annex I. 
3. Food business operat ors refer red to in Article 2(3) shall keep a record of the applied mitig ation measures set out in 
Part A and B of Annex II. 
4. Food business operators referred to in Article 2(1) and (3) shall perform sampling and analysis to deter mine the 
level of acrylamide in foodstuffs in accordance with the requirements set out in Annex III and shall record the results of 
the sampli ng and analysis. 
5. If the sam pling and analysis results indicate that the levels are not below the benc hmark levels of acrylamide set 
out in Annex IV, food business operators refer red to in Article 2(1) and (3) shall review without dela y the mitig ation 
measures in accordance with Article 2(4). 
6. By way of derogat ion, this Article does not apply to food business operat ors referred to in Article 2(2). Those food 
business operat ors shall be able to provide evidence of the application of mitig ation measures set out in part A of 
Annex II. 
Article 5 
Review of the levels of acrylamide 
The benc hmark levels of acrylamide presence in foodstuffs set out in Annex IV shall be reviewed by the Commission 
ever y three years and the first time within three years after the entr y into application of this Regulation. 
The review of the benc hmark levels shall be based on the occur rence data of acrylamide from the Author ity's database, 
relat ed to the review period and provided to the Author ity's database by compet ent author ities and food business 
operat ors. 
Article 6 
Entr y into force and application 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day followi ng that of its publication in the Official Journal of the 
European Union. 
It shall apply from 11 Apr il 2018. 21.11.2017 L 304/27 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     
(1)Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 Januar y 2002 laying down the general principles and 
requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safet y Authority and laying down procedures in matt ers of food safet y  
(OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1). This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member State s. 
Done at Brussels, 20 November 2017. 
For the Commission 
The President 
Jean-Claude JUNCK ER  21.11.2017 L 304/28 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     ANNEX I 
MITIGA TION MEASURES REFERRED TO IN ART ICLE 2(1) 
Where the mitigation measures in this Annex include the use of food additives and other substances, the food additives 
and other substances shall be used in accordance with the provisions provi ded for in Regulations of the European 
Parliament and of the Council (EC) No 1332/2008 (1) and (EC) No 1333/2008 (2) and Commission Regulation (EU) 
No 231/2012 (3). 
I.  PRODUCTS BASED ON RAW POT ATOES 
Selection of suitable pota to varieties 
1.  Food business operat ors (hereinaf ter ‘FBOs’) shall identify and use the potato varieties that are suitable for the 
product type and where the conte nt of acrylamide precursors, such as reducing sugars (fructose and glucose) 
and asparagine is the lowest for the regional conditions. 
2.  FBOs shall use the potato varieties which have been stored in the conditions which are applicable to a specifi c 
potato variety and for the storag e period determined for a specifi c variety. The stored potat oes shall be used 
within their optimal storag e window . 
3.  FBOs shall identify potato varieties with lower acrylamide forming poten tial in cultivation, storag e and during 
food processing. The results shall be document ed. 
Acce ptance criter ia 
1.  FBOs shall specify in their arrangements regarding potato supply the maximum conte nt of reducing suga rs in 
potatoes and also the maximum amount of bruised, spotte d or damaged potatoes. 
2.  If the specified conte nt of reducing sugar content in potatoes and the amount of bruised, spotted or damage d 
potatoes are exceed ed, FBOs may accept the potato supply by specifying additional available mitig ation 
measures to be taken to ensure that the presence of acrylamide in the final product is as low as reasonably 
achi evable below the benc hmark level set out in Annex IV. 
Potato storage and transpor t 
1.  Where FBOs operate their own storage facilities: 
—  the temperature shall be appropr iate to the potato variety stored and it shall be above 6 °C; 
—  the level of humidity shall be such as to minimise senescent sweetening; 
—  sprouting shall be suppressed in long term store d potatoe s where permitted, using appropr iate agents; 
—  during storag e the level of reducing sugars in potatoes shall be tested. 
2.  Potato lots shall be monitor ed for reducing sugars at the time of harvest. 
3.  FBOs shall specify the potato transpor t conditions in term s 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 transpor tation of potatoes is not lower than the temperature regime applied during 
storage. These specif ications shall be documented. 21.11.2017 L 304/29 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     
(1)Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on food enzymes and amending 
Council Directive 83/417/EEC, Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999, Directive 2000/13/EC, Council Directive 2001/112/EC and 
Regulation (EC) No 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 additives (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 
Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 83, 22.3.2012, p. 1). (a) SLICED POT ATO 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 specifi c product, in line with 
quality and food safety standards and taking into account relevant factors such as fryer manufact urer , fryer 
type, potato variety, total solids, potat o 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 specif ic product, 
design or technology , then the FBOs shall provid e data demonstrating that the level of acrylamide in the 
finished product is as low as reasonably achievable and that the benchmark level set out in Annex IV is 
achi eved. 
3.  For each product design, FBOs shall specify the moisture conte nt post frying whic h shall be set as high as 
feasibly possible for a specifi c production line and for a specifi c product, in accordance with expecte d 
quality and food safety standards and taking into account relevant factors such as potato variety, seasonality , 
tuber size, and the fryer exit temperature. The minimal moisture cont ent shall not be lowe r 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 POT ATO PRODUCTS 
Recipe and Process design 
1.  Potat oes shall be tested for reducing sugars prior to use. This can be done by fry testing using colours as an 
indicator of pote ntial high reducing sugar cont ent: indicative fry testing 20-25 centre strips, whic h are fried 
to evaluate frying colours of the potato strips against the colour specification using a USD A Munsell colour 
chart or calibrated compan y-specif ic charts for small operat ors. Alternatively the overall finished frying 
colour can be measured by specific equipment (e.g. Agtron). 
2.  FBOs shall remove immature tubers having a low under water weight and high reducing sugar levels. The 
remo val can be done by passing tubers through a salt brine or similar systems which make immature tubers 
float or by pre-washing potat oes to detect bad tubers. 
3.  FBOs shall remo ve slivers right after cutting to avoid burned pieces in the final cook ed product. 
4.  FBOs shall blanch potato strips to remo ve some of the reducing sugars from the outside of the strips. 
5.  FBOs shall adapt blanching regimes to the specifi c quality attribut es of the incoming raw mate rial and they 
shall stay within specification limits for finished product colour . 
6.  FBOs shall prevent (enzymatic) discolouration and after cooking darkenin g of potato products. This can be 
done by applying disodium diphosphate (E450), whic h also lowe rs the pH level of the washing water and 
inhibits the brown ing reaction. 
7.  The use of reducing sugars as a brown ing agent shall be avoided. They may be used only if needed, to 
consistently stay within specifi cation limits. FBOs shall control the colour of the final product by 
performin g colour checks on the final cooked product. If needed after blanching, controlled addition of 
dextrose enables meeting the finished colour specif ication. Controlled addition of dextrose after blanching 
results in lowe r acrylamide levels in the final cook ed product at the same colour as obser ved in unblanche d 
products with only naturally accumulate d reducing suga rs. 21.11.2017 L 304/30 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     Informa tion 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 packag ing and/or via other communication channels. For consumers 
the recommended cooking instr uctions shall be clearly displa yed on all product packag ing in compl iance 
with Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) on the provis ion of 
food information to consumers. 
Recommended cooking methods shall be in agreement with custome r specifi cations and requirements for 
professiona l end users and must be validate d per product type to ensure products have optimal sensor y 
quality at the lightest acceptab le colour , per cooking method specifi ed (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 
operat ors (e.g. chefs) to ensure good cooking methods and also provi de calibrated equipment (e.g. timers, 
frying curves, colour grading charts (e.g. USD A/Munsell) and at minimum, clear pictures with target ed final 
prepared product colours. 
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 temperature can be used when the fan is switch ed on; 
—  Preheat the cooking device (e.g. oven, air fryer) to correct temperature between 180 and 220 °C 
according to on-pack cooking instr uctions, depending on the products specific ations and local 
requirements; 
—  cook potat oes until a golden yellow colour; 
—  do not overcook; 
—  turn oven products after 10 minute s or halfwa y through the total cooking time; 
—  follow the recommended cooking instr uctions, as provid ed by the manuf acturer ; 
—  when prepar ing smaller quantities of potatoes than indicated on pack, reduce the cooking time, to avoid 
exces sive browning of the product ; 
—  do not overf ill the frying baske t; fill your basket up to the halfwa y mark to avoid excessive oil uptak e by 
exte nded frying times. 
II.  DOUGH-BASED POT ATO CRISPS, SNA CKS, CRA CKERS AND OTHER DOUGH-BASED POT ATO PRODUCTS 
Raw Mater ials 
1.  For each product, FBOs shall specify target values for reducing suga rs in their dehydrate d potato ingredients. 
2.  The target value of reducing sugars in the products concer ned 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 mitig ation measures, further processing of the dough, 
seasonality and the moisture content in the finished product. 
3.  Where the cont ent of reducing sugars is higher than 1,5 % the FBOs shall provid e data demonstrating that the 
level of acrylamide in the finished product is as low as reasonably achi evable below the benc hmark level set out 
in Annex IV. 
Recipe and Process Design 
1.  Dehydrat ed potat o ingredients shall be analysed prior to their use either by the supplier or the user to confir m 
that the sugar content does not exceed the specifi ed level. 21.11.2017 L 304/31 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     
(1)Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 Octo ber 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 Directive 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). 2.  Where dehydrat ed potato ingredients exceed the specifi ed suga r level, FBOs shall specify the additional 
mitig ation measures to be take n to ensure that the level of acrylamide in the final product is as low as 
reasonably achi evable below the benc hmark level set out in Annex IV. 
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 poten tial. 
4.  In wet dough-based system s, FBOs shall consider the use of the followi ng substances insofar possible, taking 
into account that these substances may not be synergistic in their mitig ation effect i.e. specifi cally applies to 
the use of asparaginase and lower ing 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 crack ers 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 specifi c line and for the specifi c 
product, in accordance with prescr ibed quality and food safet y standards and taking into account relevant 
factors, such as the fryer manufacturer , fryer type, sugar cont ent and the targe t moisture content for the 
product. 
Where the temperature is higher than 175 °C at the fryer exit, FBOs shall provid e data demonstrating that the 
level of acrylamide in the finished product. is below the benchmark level specifi ed in Annex IV. 
(Note: Most pellet products are fried at temperatures higher than 175 °C because of their very shor t frying 
time and the temperatures needed to achieve the required expansion and textur e of these products).  
7.  Where dough-based potat o crisps, snac ks or crac kers 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/dr ying process shall be as low as feasibly possible on a specif ic 
line and for the specific product, in line with expecte d quality and food safet y standards, and taking into 
account relevant factors such as the mach iner y type, reducing sugar content of the raw mat erial and the 
moisture content of the product. 
9.  Where the product temperature is higher than 175 °C at the end of the baking/dr ying process, the FBOs shall 
provid e data demonstrating that the level of acrylamide in the finished product is below the benc hmark level 
specifi ed in Annex IV. 
10.  For each product, FBOs shall specify the moisture conte nt post frying or baking which shall be set as high as 
feasibly possible on a specifi c production line and for a specif ic product, in line with the product quality and 
food safety requirements, and taking into account the fryer exit, baking and drying temperature. The moisture 
conte nt in the final product shall not be lower than 1,0 %. 
III.  FINE BAKER Y WARES 
The mitig ation measures in this Chapt er are applicable to the fine bake ry wares such as cookies, biscuits, rusks, 
cereal bars, scones, cornets, wafers, crumpe ts and ginge rbread, as well as unsweetened products such as crack ers, 
crisp breads and bread substitut es. In this categor y a crack er is a dry biscuit (a bake d product based on cereal 
flour), e.g. soda crack ers, rye crispbreads and matzot. 
Agronomy 
In case of contract farming, where agricultural products are supplied to FBOs directly by their producers, FBOs 
shall ensure that the follo wing 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 nitroge n application; 21.11.2017 L 304/32 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     —  to follow Good Phyt osanitar y 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 and Product Design 
In the manuf actur ing process FBOs shall apply the following mitig ation measures:  
1. For relevant products, FBOs shall consider reducing or replacing fully or partially ammonium bicarbonat e with 
alternative raising agents such as 
(a)  sodium bicarbonat e and acidulants, or 
(b)  sodium bicarbonat e and disodium diphosphat es with organic acids or potassium variants thereof. 
As part of this consideration, FBOs shall ensure that the use of the said altern ative raising agents do not result 
in organolept ic changes (tast e, appearance, texture etc.) or increase the overall sodium conte nt whic h influence 
product identity and consumers acceptance.  
2. For products where the product design allows, FBOs shall replace fructo se or fructo se-containing ingredients 
such as syrups and hone y with glucose or non-reducing sugars such as sucrose, particularly in recipes 
containing ammonium bicarbonat e where possible and taking into consideration that replacing fructo se 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 mitig ate the poten tial for 
acrylamide formation. FBOs 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 conte nt, low moisture or high pH value.  
4. Where a product characteri stic allows, FBOs shall review whether it is possible to utilise the partial replacement 
of wheat flour with altern ative grain flour , such as rice, taking into consideration that any chang e will have an 
impact on the baking process and organolept ic proper ties of the products. Diffe rent types of grains have shown 
diffe rent levels of asparagine (typical asparagine levels are the highest in rye and in descending order lower in 
oats, wheat, maize and with the lowe st 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 acrylamide levels in the final product, and use ingredients that do not have such effects but maintain 
physical and organolep tic proper ties (such as almonds roast ed at lowe r rather than higher temperatures and 
dried fruits as fructose source).  
6. FBOs shall ensure that suppliers of heat treate d ingredients whic h are susceptible to acrylamide formation carry 
out an acrylamide risk assessment and implement the appropr iate mitig ation 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 reasonable in combination with other mitig ation measures and taking into account that this can 
result in organolep tic change s (less browning, modification of taste). 
Processing 
FBOs shall take the followi ng mitig ation measures in the manuf acture of fine baker y wares and shall ensure that 
the measures taken are compatib le with the product character istics and food safety requirements:  
1. FBO shall apply the heat input, i.e. time and temperature combination that is the most effective to reduce 
acrylamide formation while achieving the target ed product character istics. 21.11.2017 L 304/33 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     2. FBOs shall increase the moisture content in the final product in consideration of achieving the target ed 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 achi eving the 
target ed 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 manufacture of fine baker y wares could be heat treated several times (e.g. pre- 
processed cereal pieces, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, etc.), which results in the raise of acrylamide levels in final 
products, FBOs shall adjust product and process design according ly to compl y with the benchmark levels of 
acrylamide set out in Annex IV. In particular the FBOs shall not use burnt products as rewor k.  
6. For product pre-mixes that are put on the mark et to be bake d at home or in cateri ng establishments, FBOs shall 
provid e preparation instr uctions to their customers to ensure that the acrylamide levels in the final products are 
as low as reasonably achi evable below the benc hmark levels. 
IV.  BREAKF AST CEREALS 
Agronomy 
In case of contract farming, where agricultural products are supplied to FBOs directly by their producers, FBOs 
shall ensure that the follo wing 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 nitroge n application; 
—  to follow Good Phyt osanitar y 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 barle y, 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 manuf actur ing process and organolep tic 
proper ties of the products. 
2.  FBOs shall control the addition rates at the point of addition of reducing sugars (e.g. fructo se and glucose) and 
ingredients containing reducing suga rs (e.g. hone y) taking into consideration their impact on organolep tic 
proper ties and process functionalities (binding cluster s for cluster formation) and which can act as precursors to 
acrylamide formation when added prior to heat-treatment stages . 
3.  FBOs shall take into account in the risk assessment the acrylamide contr ibution from heat-treate d, dry 
ingredients, such as roasted and toast ed nuts and oven dried fruits, and use altern ative ingredients if the 
contr ibution is likely to bring the finished product abov e the benc hmark level specified in Annex IV. 
4.  For heat-treat ed ingredients whic h contain 150 micrograms of acrylamide per kilogram (µg/kg) or more, FBOs 
shall take the follo wing 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. 21.11.2017 L 304/34 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     5.  When the cereal is in a flour dough format and the manufactur ing process allows a suffi cient time, temperature 
and moisture content for asparaginase to reduce asparagine levels, FBOs shall use asparaginase where required 
provid ed there is no adverse effect on flavour or risk of residual enzyme activity . 
Processing 
In the manuf acture of breakf ast cereals FBOs shall apply the followi ng mitigation measures and shall ensure that 
the measures taken are compatib le with the product character istics and food safety requirements:  
1. FBOs shall identify , by means of risk assessment, the critical heat-treatment step(s) in the manufactur ing process 
that generate(s) acrylamide.  
2. As higher heating temperatures and long er heating times generate higher acrylamide levels, FBOs shall identify 
an effective combination of temperature and heating times to minimise acrylamide formation without 
comprom ising the taste , textur e, colour , safety and shelf-life of the product.  
3. To avoid the generation of acrylamide spik es, FBOs shall control heating temperatures, times and feed-rat es in 
order to achieve the followi ng minimum moisture content in the final product after the final heat treatment in 
consideration of achi eving the target ed product quality , the required shelf life and food safety standards: 
—  toas ted products: 1 g/100 g for extr uded products, 1 g/100 g for batch cook ed products, 2 g/100 g for 
steam rolled products; 
—  direct expanded products: 0,8 g/100 g for extr uded products; 
—  baked products: 2 g/100 g for continuously cooked products; 
—  filled products: 2 g/100 g for extr uded products; 
—  other drying: 1 g/100 g for batch cook ed products, 0,8 g/100 g for gun puffe d products. 
FBOs shall measure the moisture content and express acrylamide concentration in a dry mass to eliminate the 
conf ounding effect of moisture chang es.  
4. Rework ing product back through the process has the poten tial to generat e higher acrylamide levels through 
repeated exposure to the heat-treatments steps. FBOs theref ore shall assess the impact of rewor k on acrylamide 
levels and reduce or eliminate rewor k.  
5. FBOs shall have procedures in place, such as temperature controls and monitori ng, to prevent the incidence of 
burnt products. 
V.  COFFEE 
Recipe 
In consider ing coffe e blend compo sition FBOs 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 incor porated into a Pre-requisit e Program (PRP) as part of Good 
Manufact uring Practice (GMP). 
3.  FBOs shall consider the use of asparaginase treatment, insofa r possible and effective to reduce the presence of 
acrylamide. 
VI.  COFFEE SUBSTITUTES CONT AINING 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 follo wing 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 nitroge n application; 21.11.2017 L 304/35 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     —  to follow Good Phyt osanitar y 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 barle y, 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 manuf actur ing process and organolep tic 
proper ties of the product. 
2.  FBOs shall control the addition rates at the point of addition of reducing sugars (e.g. fructo se and glucose) and 
ingredients containing reducing sugars (e.g. honey) taking into consideration the impact on organolep tic 
proper ties and process functionalities (binding clusters) and whic h can act as precursors to acrylamide 
formation when added prior to heat-treatment stages . 
3.  If coffe e substitutes are not made exclusively from cereals, 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 ensure minimal acrylamide formation within the target 
flavour profile. 
2.  Control of roast conditions shall be incor porated into a Pre-requisit e Program (PRP) as part of Good 
Manufact uring Practice (GMP). 
VII.  COFFEE SUBSTITUTES CONT AINING MORE THAN 50 % CHICOR Y 
FBOs shall purch ase only cultivars low in asparagine and FBOs shall ensure that no late and excess ive nitrogen 
application has taken place during the growth of chicor y. 
Recipe 
If coffee substitutes are not made excl usively from chicor y namely , chicory content is less than 100 % and more 
than 50 %, FBOs shall add other ingredients, such as chicor y fibres, roaste d cereals, as these have been shown to 
be effective to reduce the acrylamide cont ent in the final product. 
Processing 
1.  FBOs shall identify the critical roast conditions to ensure minimal acrylamide formation within the target 
flavour profile. Conclusions shall be documente d. 
2.  Control of roast conditions shall be incor porat ed into the manuf acturer's food safety management system. 
VIII.  BAB Y BISCUITS AND INFANT CEREALS (1) 
In case of contract farming, where agricultural products are supplied to FBOs directly by their producers, FBOs 
shall ensure that the follo wing 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 nitroge n application; 
—  to follow Good Phyt osanitar y 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. 21.11.2017 L 304/36 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     
(1)As defined in Regulation (EU) No 609/2013. Product Design, Processing and Heating 
1.  FBOs shall use asparaginase to reduce the levels of asparagine in the flour raw mater ial insofa r possible. FBOs 
that cannot use asparaginase due to, for example the processing requirements or product design, shall use flour 
raw mater ial low in acrylamide precursors, such as fructo se 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 achi eving 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 appropr iate 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 mak e any supplier changes that 
increase acrylamide. 
5.  If the use of heat-treate d raw mate rials and ingredients results in that in the final product the acrylamide 
benc hmark level specifi ed in Annex IV is exceed ed, FBOs shall review the use of those products in view of 
achi eving levels of acrylamide as low as reasonably achievab le below the benc hmark level set out in Annex IV. 
Recipe 
1.  Given that products based on maize and rice tend 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 taking into 
consideration that any change will have an impact on the manuf actur ing process and organolep tic proper ties 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 rates at the point of addition of reducing sugars (e.g. fructo se and glucose) and 
ingredients containing reducing sugars (e.g. honey) taking into consideration the impact on organolep tic 
proper ties and process functionalities (binding clusters) and whic h can act as precursors to acrylamide 
formation when added prior to heat-treatment stages . 
4.  FBO shall deter mine the acrylamide contr ibution from heat-treate d and dry ingredients, such as roaste d and 
toast ed nuts and oven dried fruits, and use altern ative ingredients if the use of those ingredients brings the 
finished product abov e the benc hmark level specifi ed in Annex IV. 
Processing 
1.  FBOs shall identify , by means of risk assessment, the critical heat-treatment step(s) in the manufactur ing process 
that generate(s) acrylamide. 
2.  FBOs shall measure the moisture content and express acrylamide concentration in a dry mass to eliminate the 
conf ounding effect of moisture chang es. 
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.  FBOs shall control heating temperatures, times and feed-rates. Feed-rate and temperature control measurement 
system s should be calibrated regularly and these operating conditions controlled within set limits. These tasks 
shall be incor porate d into the HACCP procedures. 21.11.2017 L 304/37 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     5.  Monitoring and controlling product moisture conte nt after the critical heat-treatment steps has proved to be 
effective in controlling acrylamide levels in some processes and theref ore, in these circumstances, this process 
can be an adequat e alternative to controlling heating temperatures and times, hence shall be employed. 
IX.  BAB Y JAR FOODS (LOW-ACID AND PRUNE-BASED FOODS) (1) 
1.  For the production of baby jar foods, FBOs shall choose raw mater ials with low acrylamide precursor cont ent, 
e.g. reducing sugars such as fructo se 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 follo wing requirements to prevent elevated asparagine levels in cereals are applied: 
—  to follow Good Agricultural Practices on fertilisation, in particular with regar d to maintaining balanced 
sulphur levels in the soil and to ensure a correct nitrogen application; 
—  to follo w Good Phytosanitar y Practices in order to ensure the application of good practices on crop 
prot ection measures to prevent fungal infection. 
FBOs shall carry out controls to verify the effective application of the aforesaid requirements. 
3.  In prune purée purcha se contracts FBOs shall include requirements which ensure that heat treatment regimes in 
the prune purée manuf actur ing process are applied that aim to reduce the occur rence of acrylamide in that 
product. 
4.  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 mitig ation measures to reduce the presence of 
acrylamide in those ingredients. 
5.  If the use of heat-treated raw mat erials 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 mater ials and ingredients in 
view of achieving levels of acrylamide as low as reasonably achi evable below the benc hmark level set out in 
Annex IV. 
Recipe 
1.  FBOs shall take into account in the risk assessment of acrylamid e in the foodstuffs concer ned 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 prunes whic h are as low as possible in acrylamide precursors, 
such as reducing sugars (e.g. fructo se and glucose) and asparagine. 
3.  FBOs shall control the addition rates at the point of addition of reducing sugars (e.g. fructo se and glucose) and 
ingredients containing reducing suga rs (e.g. hone y) 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. 
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 achieve d either via a risk 
assessment or by directly measur ing the acrylamide levels in the product before and after each heat-treatment 
step. 
2.  To avoid the generation of acrylamide spik es, FBO shall control heating temperatures, times and feed-rat es. 
Feed-rate and temperature control measurement system s should be calibrated regularly and these operating 
conditions controlled within set limits. These tasks shall be incor porat ed into the HACCP procedures. 
3.  FBOs shall ensure that the lowering of ther mal input to reduce acrylamide in low acid and prune based foods 
do not affect microbiological safety of the foodstuffs concer ned. 21.11.2017 L 304/38 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     
(1)As defined in Regulation (EU) No 609/2013. X.  BREAD 
Agronomy 
In case of contract farming, where agricultural products are supplied to FBOs directly by their producers, FBOs 
shall ensure that the follo wing 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 nitroge n application; 
—  to follow Good Phyt osanitar y 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.  FBOs shall exte nd the yeast fermentation time taking into account the product design and the technical 
possibilities. 
3.  FBOs shall lower ther mal input by optimising baking temperature and time insofa r possible. 
4.  FBOs shall provide baking instr uctions for bread that is to be finished at home, in bake-off areas, retail shops or 
in cate ring establishments. 
5.  FBOs shall substitute ingredients that have the poten tial 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.  FBOs shall replace fructo se with glucose particularly in recipes containing ammonium bicarbonate (E503) 
where the product design allows and insof ar possible. That includes, for instance, replacing invert sugar syrup 
and hone y, whic h contain higher levels of fructo se, with glucose syrup. 
7.  In products with low moisture cont ent, FBOs shall use asparaginase to reduce asparagine insof ar possible and 
taking into account product recipe, ingredients, moisture conte nt and process.  21.11.2017 L 304/39 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     ANNEX II 
PART A 
MITIGA TION MEASURES TO BE APPLIED BY FOOD BUSINESS OPERA TORS (FBOs) REFERRED TO IN 
ART ICLE 2(2) 
1.  FBOs producing potat o products shall apply the follo wing mitig ation measures: 
—  French fries and other cut (deep fried) potato products: 
—  Potato varieties with lowe r sugar conte nt shall be used, when available and insofar as compati ble with the 
desired food product to be obtained. In this respect the provi der shall be consulte d for best suited potato 
varieties. 
—  Potatoe s shall be store d at a temperature higher than 6 °C. 
—  Before the frying process: 
Excep t for frozen potato products for which cooking instr uctions shall be follo wed, one of the followi ng 
measures shall be take n with raw French fries to reduce the suga r conte nt, where possible and insofar as 
compatible with the desired food product to be obtained: 
—  Washing and soaking preferably for 30 minutes up to 2 hours in cold water . Rinse the strips in clean water 
before frying. 
—  Soaking for a few minute s in warm wate r. Rinse the strips in clean water before frying. 
—  Blanch ing of potat oes results in lower levels of acrylamide and theref ore where possible, it is appropr iate to 
blanch potatoes. 
—  When frying French fries or other potato products: 
—  Frying oils and fats shall be used whic h allows to fry quic ker and/or at lower temperatures. Cooking oil 
suppliers shall be consulted for the best suited oils and fats. 
—  Frying temperatures shall be below 175 °C and in any case as low as possible taking into account the food 
safety requirements. 
—  Frying oils and fats quality shall be maintained by skimming frequently to remove fines and crumbs. 
For the cooking of French fries, it is appropr iate that the FBOs make use of available colour guides provid ing 
guidance on the optimal combination of colour and low levels of acrylamide. 
It is appropr iate that a colour guide providing guidance on the optimal combination of colour and low levels of 
acrylamide is visibly displa yed at the premises to the staff prepar ing the food. 
2.  FBOs producing bread and fine baker y wares shall use the followi ng mitig ation measures in the baking process: 
—  Insofar possible and compati ble with the production process and hygiene requirements: 
—  the extension of yeast fermentation time; 
—  the moisture cont ent of the dough for the production of a product with low moisture cont ent, shall be 
optimised; 
—  the lowe ring of oven temperature and the extensi on 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 specifi c composition or nature of the 
bread resulting in a dark crust. 
3.  When prepar ing sandwiches, the FBOs shall ensure that sandwiches are toast ed to the optimal colour . It is 
appropr iate that colour guides developed for specific product types, when available, provid ing guidance on the 
optimal combination of colour and low levels of acrylamide are used when producing these specifi c products. When 
using pre-pac ked bread or baker y products which are to be finished, cooking instr uctions are followe d. 
The abov ementioned colour guide provi ding guidance on the optimal combination of colour and low levels of 
acrylamide shall be visibly displa yed at the premises to the staff prepar ing the specifi c food. 21.11.2017 L 304/40 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     PART B 
MITIGA TION MEASURES TO BE APPLIED BY FOOD BUSINESS OPERA TORS REFERRED TO IN 
ARTICLE 2(3) IN ADDITION TO THE MITIGA TION MEASURES REFERRED TO IN PART A  
1. General requirement 
FBOs shall accept products refer red to in Article 1(2) only from FBOs that have implemented all mitig ation measures 
set out in Annex I.  
2. French fries and other cut (deep fried) potato products 
FBOs shall: 
—  follow the instr uctions on storage of provided by the FBOs or the suppliers or provi ded for in the relevant 
mitigation measures in Annex I; 
—  work with Standard Operational Procedures and calibrated fryers equipped with comput erised timers and 
programmed to standard settings (time-tem perature); 
—  monitor the level of acrylamide in finished products to verify that the mitig ation measures are effective in 
keeping acrylamide levels below the benc hmark level.  
3. Bak ery products 
FBOs shall monit or the level of acrylamide in finished products to verify that the mitig ation measures are effective in 
keeping acrylamide levels below the benchmark level.  
4. Coffee 
FBOs shall ensure that the level of acrylamide in supplied coffe e is lower than the benc hmark level specified in 
Annex IV taking into account however that this may not be possible for all coffee types depending on blend and 
roast charact eristics. In these cases a justification is provided by the supplier .  21.11.2017 L 304/41 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     ANNEX III 
SAM PLING AND ANAL YSIS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MONITORING REFERRED TO IN ART ICLE 4 
I.  Sampling 
1.  The sample shall be representative for the samp led batch . 
2.  FBOs shall ensure that they under take representative sam pling and analysis of their products for the presence of 
acrylamide to verify the effectiveness of mitig ation measures, i.e. the levels of acrylamide are consistently below 
the benc hmark levels. 
3.FBOs shall ensure that a representative sam ple of each product type is taken for analysis of acrylamide concen ­
tration. 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 poten tial influence acrylamide levels in the finished product. 
Monitoring programmes shall prioritise product types that have the demonstrated potential to exceed the 
benc hmark level and shall be risk-based where further mitig ation measures are feasible. 
II.  Analysis 
1.  FBOs shall provi de sufficient data to enable an assessment of the level of acrylamide and of the likelihood that 
the product type might excee d the benc hmark level. 
2.  The sam ple shall be analysed in a laboratory that participates in appropr iate proficiency testin g schemes (which 
compl y with the ‘International Harmonised Protocol for the Proficie ncy Testing of (Chemical) Analytical 
Laborat ories’ (1) developed under the auspices of IUPAC/ISO/A OAC) and uses approved analytical methods for 
detection and quantif ication. Laborator ies shall be able to demonstrate that they have internal quality control 
procedures in place. Examples of these are the ‘ISO/A OAC/IUP AC Guidelines on Internal Quality Control in 
Analytical Chemistr y Laboratori es’ (2). 
Wherever possible the trueness of analysis shall be estimate d by including suitable certified reference mater ials in 
the analysis. 
3.  The method of analysis used for the analysis of acrylamide must compl y with the followi ng performa nce criteria 
Paramet er Criterion 
Applicability Foods specif ied in this Regulation 
Specificity Free from matr ix or spectral interferences 
Field blanks Less than Limit of Detection (LOD) 
Repeatability (RSDr) 0,66 times RSDR as derived from (modifi ed) Hor witz equation 
Reproducibility (RSDR) as derived from (modified) Hor witz equation 
Recov ery 75-110 % 
Limit of Detection (LOD) Three tenths of LOQ 
Limit of Quantification (LOQ) For benchmark level < 125 µg/kg: ≤ two fifths of the benc hmark level  
(however not required to be lower than 20 µg/kg) 
For benc hmark level ≥ 125 µg/kg: ≤ 50 µg/kg  
4.  Analysis of acrylamide can be replaced by measurement of product attributes (e.g. colour) or process paramet ers 
provided that a statistical correlation can be demonstrated between the product attribut es or process paramete rs 
and the acrylamide level. 21.11.2017 L 304/42 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     
(1)M. Thompso n et al, Pure and Applied Chemistr y, 2006, 78, pp. 145-196. 
(2)Edit ed by M. Thompso n and R. Wood, Pure and Applied Chemistr y, 1995, 67, pp. 649-666. III.  Frequency of sampling 
1.  FBOs shall, under take sam pling and analysis at least annually for products that have a kno wn and well-controlled 
acrylamide level. FBOs shall carry out higher frequency sampling and analysis of products having the poten tial to 
exce ed the benc hmark level and shall be risk-based where further mitig ation measures are feasible. 
2.  Based on this assessment refer red to in point II.1, the FBOs shall specify appropr iate frequencies for analysis for 
each product type. The assessment shall be repeate d if a product or process is modified in a way that could lead 
to a chang e in the acrylamide level in the final product. 
IV.  Mitigation 
If the analytical result, corrected for recovery but not taking into account the measurement uncer tainty , indicates 
that a product has excee ded the benc hmark level, or contains acrylamide at a level higher than anticipated (taking 
into account previous analyses, but lower than the benc hmark level), then the FBOs shall carry out a review of the 
mitig ation measures applied and shall take additional available mitigation measures to ensure that acrylamide level 
in the finished product is below the benc hmark level. This must be demonstrated by the under taking of a new 
representative sampling and analysis, after the introduction of the additional mitig ation measures. 
V.  Information to competent author ities 
FBOs shall make the analytical results obtained from the analysis ever y year available on request to the compet ent 
author ity together with descr iptions of the products analysed. Details of mitig ation measures taken to reduce levels 
of acrylamide below the benchmark level shall be provid ed for those products exceed ing the benc hmark level.  21.11.2017 L 304/43 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     ANNEX IV 
BENCHMAR K LEVELS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 1(1) 
Benc hmark 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-t o-eat) 500 
Potato crisps from fresh potatoe s and from potat o dough 
Potato-based crack ers 
Other potato products from potato dough 750 
Soft bread  
(a)  Wheat based bread 50 
(b)  Soft bread other than wheat based bread 100 
Breakf ast cereals (excl. porridge )  
—  bran products and whole grain cereals, gun puff ed grain 300 
—  wheat and rye based products (1) 300 
—  maize, oat, spelt, barley and rice based products (1) 150 
Biscuits and wafers 350 
Crack ers with the excep tion of potato based crack ers 400 
Crispbread 350 
Ginger bread 800 
Products similar to the other products in this catego ry 300 
Roast coffe e 400 
Instant (soluble) coffee 850 
Coffee substitutes  
(a)  coffee substitutes exclusively from cereals 500 
(b)  coffee substitutes from a mixture of cereals and chicor y (2) 
(c)  coffee substitutes excl usively from chicory 4 000 
Baby foods, processed cereal based foods for infants and young children excl uding biscuits 
and rusks (3) 40 
Biscuits and rusks for infants and young children (3) 150 
(1)  Non-whole grain and/or non-bran based cereals. The cereal present in the largest quantity determines the categor y. 
(2)  The benchma rk level to be applied to coffee substitutes from a mixture of cereals and chicory takes into account the relative 
propor tion of these ingredients in the final product. 
(3)  As defin ed in Regulation (EU) No 609/2013.   21.11.2017 L 304/44 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN