Carry-over of acrylamide from feed (heated potato product) to eggs and body tissues of laying hens

A total of 16 hens were allocated to two groups. Hens were kept individually in a cage battery. During a four-week experiment 120 g feed were given per hen and day of consumption. The diet consisted of commercial potato meal (50%) as well as soy meal, barley and premix. The potato meal for the experimental group was heated for 2 h at 150°C. While the determined acrylamide content in the experimental diet was 671 ± 32 μg per kg, it was 125 ± 40 μg/kg in the diet of the control group. Acrylamide was determined by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry in the diet as well as in body tissue and eggs. During the experiment the acrylamide concentration in the eggs increased in both, the experimental and the control group. After three weeks, the acrylamide concentration in the eggs remained constant (max. 17.2μg/kg egg). The carry-over rates for acrylamide from the diet to the egg were 0.022 in experimental and 0.010 in control hens. All hens were slaughtered at the end of the trial. The highest content of acrylamide was found in the kidneys of the experimental hens (27.7μg/kg). It may be concluded that even for the highest acrylamide concentration considered the contribution of poultry products to the total acrylamide intake by humans is low. © Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel 2006.