Acrylamide in table olives

Acrylamide is formed in two types of table olives where heat sterilization is applied, namely, Californian-style black ripe olives and, to a lesser extent, Californian-style green ripe olives. In contrast, acrylamide is not detected in other processing types such as Spanish-style and Greek-style olives, where pasteurization is sufficient for their preservation. The chapter describes the steps for the preparation of black ripe olives, and their influence on acrylamide levels in the final product. Strategies to mitigate acrylamide formation, including modifications of processing methods and the use of additives, as well as the effect of domestic cooking on acrylamide content are reviewed. Finally, research on the identification of precursors of acrylamide in olives is summarized. It is suggested that peptide-bound polyphenols may form acrylamide following sterilization without the involvement of free asparagine and reducing sugars. Future studies should be focused on elucidating the exact mechanism of acrylamide in table olives.