AGEs and Acrylamide in Food: What They Are and Why Pea Protein Is Different

As more people pay attention to food quality and processing methods, questions about compounds like AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products) and acrylamide are becoming increasingly common. These substances are often associated with high-heat cooking and processed foods—but what do they mean for plant-based protein powders like pea protein?

Let’s take a closer look at what AGEs and acrylamide are, how they form, and why pea protein is fundamentally different from many heat-processed foods.

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What Are AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products)?

AGEs are compounds formed when proteins or fats react with sugars through a chemical process known as glycation. This reaction happens naturally in the body over time, but it also occurs in foods—especially during cooking.

Dietary AGEs are most commonly found in foods prepared using:

• Frying

• Grilling

• Roasting

• Baking

These cooking methods involve high temperatures and low moisture, which accelerate glycation reactions and cause browning and flavor development. Research suggests that excessive dietary intake of AGEs may contribute to oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, which is why some consumers seek to limit their exposure.¹ ²

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What Is Acrylamide?

Acrylamide is a chemical compound that forms primarily in carbohydrate-rich foods when they are cooked at high temperatures, such as:

• Fried potatoes

• Toasted bread

• Baked snacks

It forms when sugars react with the amino acid asparagine during high-heat, low-moisture cooking. Like AGEs, acrylamide is a byproduct of the Maillard reaction, the same reaction responsible for browning and crisp textures in cooked foods.³

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The Common Link: The Maillard Reaction

Both AGEs and acrylamide are byproducts of the Maillard reaction, which occurs when proteins react with sugars during high-heat cooking methods such as frying, grilling, baking, or roasting—typically in low-moisture conditions that produce browning.⁴

This distinction is important because not all food processing methods create these conditions.

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Why Pea Protein Processing Is Different

Unlike baked or fried foods, pea protein is produced using a wet-processing method, which does not promote Maillard reactions.

In pea protein production, milled pea flour is boiled in a diluted saltwater solution before the protein is extracted and later freeze-dried. Because this process takes place in a high-moisture environment, the chemical conditions required for AGEs and acrylamide formation are largely absent.

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How Pea Protein Is Made (Step by Step)

To better understand why pea protein contains virtually no AGEs or acrylamide, it helps to look at the process:

1. Harvesting and Drying
   Field peas are allowed to dry naturally in their pods before harvest and are then sun-dried.

2. Milling
   The dried peas are mechanically milled to remove the outer shells, producing a flour containing soluble fiber, starches, and proteins.

3. Wet Filtration and Extraction
   The flour is mixed with a dilute saltwater solution, which acts as the extraction medium for the protein.

4. Boiling
   The solution is boiled to facilitate protein separation. Importantly, this step occurs in water, which significantly limits Maillard reactions.

5. Protein Precipitation and Freeze-Drying
   The protein is precipitated at its isoelectric point and then freeze-dried, a low-temperature dehydration process.

The result is a pea protein isolate with virtually no AGEs or acrylamide content, due to the absence of dry, high-heat cooking conditions.⁵ ⁶

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Why This Matters for Consumers

Protein powders are often consumed daily, making processing methods especially important. Unlike foods exposed to intense dry heat, properly manufactured pea protein avoids the pathways that lead to AGEs and acrylamide formation.

For consumers looking for a clean, plant-based protein, pea protein offers:

• Minimal exposure to heat-related byproducts

• A gentle, water-based extraction process

• A protein source aligned with modern food safety and quality standards

Understanding how food is made can be just as important as understanding what it contains.

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References

1. Uribarri J, et al. Advanced glycation end products in foods and a practical guide to their reduction in the diet. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010;110(6):911–916.

2. Vlassara H, Striker GE. AGE restriction in diabetes mellitus: a paradigm shift. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2011.

3. Friedman M. Chemistry, biochemistry, and safety of acrylamide. J Agric Food Chem. 2003.

4. Martins SIFS, Jongen WMF, van Boekel MAJS. A review of Maillard reaction in food and implications to kinetic modelling. Trends Food Sci Technol. 2001.

5. Boye J, Zare F, Pletch A. Pulse proteins: processing, characterization, functional properties and applications. Food Res Int. 2010.

6. Stone AK, et al. Processing effects on pea protein structure and functionality. Food Sci Nutr. 2015.