Food & Drink / Compounds / Glu-P-1 (2-Amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole)

Glu-P-1 (2-Amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole) in food: ingestion safety

Moderate risk

Dietary Glu-P-1 ingestion is concentrated in charred food surfaces and heavily pyrolyzed food products, with typical background concentrations in conventionally cooked meat very low (<0.5 ng/g in non-charred portions) but potentially elevated 10–100-fold in charred fractions. Glu-P-1 was first identified and characterized in beef extract — the concentrated broth residue produced by extended boiling and reduction of beef, which concentrates water-soluble Maillard and pyrolysis products — where its mutagenic activity in the Ames test first drew attention to pyrolysis-derived food mutagens in the 1970s–1980s research that established the field of HCA food safety science. Food matrices with the highest Glu-P-1 concentrations include heavily charred meat surfaces (>1 ng/g possible), smoked sausages with heavy smoke penetration, and some commercial barbecue sauces or meat extracts produced from high-temperature-processed meat. Glu-P-1 is less effectively reduced by typical cooking mitigation strategies than the Maillard HCAs (PhIP, MeIQx, IQ): marinating in antioxidant-containing preparations reduces Maillard HCA formation substantially but may have less effect on pyrolysis HCA formation from charred surfaces. The most effective consumer strategy for Glu-P-1 reduction is physical removal of charred portions from grilled and barbecued meat before eating — a simple behavioral intervention that removes the surface layer where Glu-P-1 and co-occurring pyrolysis carcinogens (PAHs, other pyrolysis HCAs) are concentrated. Food processing context: Glu-P-1 is not formed in industrial food processing under normal temperature conditions; commercial cooking at controlled temperatures below 200°C generates essentially no Glu-P-1. No food-specific maximum level exists for Glu-P-1.

What is glu-p-1 (2-amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole)?

The IUPAC name is 10-methyl-1,3,8-triazatricyclo[7.4.0.02,7]trideca-2(7),3,5,8,10,12-hexaen-4-amine.

Also known as: 10-methyl-1,3,8-triazatricyclo[7.4.0.02,7]trideca-2(7),3,5,8,10,12-hexaen-4-amine, Glu-P-1, 6-Me-Glu-P-2, Glu P-1.

IUPAC name
10-methyl-1,3,8-triazatricyclo[7.4.0.02,7]trideca-2(7),3,5,8,10,12-hexaen-4-amine
CAS number
67730-11-4
Molecular formula
C11H10N4
Molecular weight
198.22 g/mol
SMILES
CC1=CC=CN2C1=NC3=C2N=C(C=C3)N
PubChem CID
49971

Risk for people

Moderate risk

Dietary Glu-P-1 ingestion is concentrated in charred food surfaces and heavily pyrolyzed food products, with typical background concentrations in conventionally cooked meat very low (<0.5 ng/g in non-charred portions) but potentially elevated 10–100-fold in charred fractions. Glu-P-1 was first identified and characterized in beef extract — the concentrated broth residue produced by extended boiling and reduction of beef, which concentrates water-soluble Maillard and pyrolysis products — where its mutagenic activity in the Ames test first drew attention to pyrolysis-derived food mutagens in the 1970s–1980s research that established the field of HCA food safety science. Food matrices with the highest Glu-P-1 concentrations include heavily charred meat surfaces (>1 ng/g possible), smoked sausages with heavy smoke penetration, and some commercial barbecue sauces or meat extracts produced from high-temperature-processed meat. Glu-P-1 is less effectively reduced by typical cooking mitigation strategies than the Maillard HCAs (PhIP, MeIQx, IQ): marinating in antioxidant-containing preparations reduces Maillard HCA formation substantially but may have less effect on pyrolysis HCA formation from charred surfaces. The most effective consumer strategy for Glu-P-1 reduction is physical removal of charred portions from grilled and barbecued meat before eating — a simple behavioral intervention that removes the surface layer where Glu-P-1 and co-occurring pyrolysis carcinogens (PAHs, other pyrolysis HCAs) are concentrated. Food processing context: Glu-P-1 is not formed in industrial food processing under normal temperature conditions; commercial cooking at controlled temperatures below 200°C generates essentially no Glu-P-1. No food-specific maximum level exists for Glu-P-1.

Regulatory consensus

4 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Glu-P-1 (2-Amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / IARC—Group 2B - Possibly carcinogenic to humans
EPA CTX / CalEPA—Known human carcinogen
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 4 positive / 0 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 4 positive / 0 negative reports)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter glu-p-1 (2-amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole)

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles
  • Food — processed food, beverages, candy, baked goods

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Glu-P-1 (2-Amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole):

  • Natural preservatives; Clean-label ingredients; Minimally processed food
    Trade-offs: Consumer label appeal ('clean label'); variable efficacy depending on food matrix and target pathogen; may alter flavor/color; regulatory status varies by jurisdiction; often more expensive per unit of preservation effect.
    Relative cost: 2-5× conventional

Frequently asked questions

Is glu-p-1 (2-amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole) safe for you?

Dietary Glu-P-1 ingestion is concentrated in charred food surfaces and heavily pyrolyzed food products, with typical background concentrations in conventionally cooked meat very low (<0.5 ng/g in non-charred portions) but potentially elevated 10–100-fold in charred fractions. Glu-P-1 was first identified and characterized in beef extract — the concentrated broth residue produced by extended boiling and reduction of beef, which concentrates water-soluble Maillard and pyrolysis products — where its mutagenic activity in the Ames test first drew attention to pyrolysis-derived food mutagens in the 1970s–1980s research that established the field of HCA food safety science. Food matrices with the highest Glu-P-1 concentrations include heavily charred meat surfaces (>1 ng/g possible), smoked sausages with heavy smoke penetration, and some commercial barbecue sauces or meat extracts produced from high-temperature-processed meat. Glu-P-1 is less effectively reduced by typical cooking mitigation strategies than the Maillard HCAs (PhIP, MeIQx, IQ): marinating in antioxidant-containing preparations reduces Maillard HCA formation substantially but may have less effect on pyrolysis HCA formation from charred surfaces. The most effective consumer strategy for Glu-P-1 reduction is physical removal of charred portions from grilled and barbecued meat before eating — a simple behavioral intervention that removes the surface layer where Glu-P-1 and co-occurring pyrolysis carcinogens (PAHs, other pyrolysis HCAs) are concentrated. Food processing context: Glu-P-1 is not formed in industrial food processing under normal temperature conditions; commercial cooking at controlled temperatures below 200°C generates essentially no Glu-P-1. No food-specific maximum level exists for Glu-P-1.

What products contain glu-p-1 (2-amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole)?

Glu-P-1 (2-Amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole) appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments); processed food (Food).

Why do regulators disagree about glu-p-1 (2-amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole)?

Glu-P-1 (2-Amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole) has been classified by 4 agencies including EPA CTX / IARC, EPA CTX / CalEPA, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Genetox, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Glu-P-1 (2-Amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole) in the food app

Look up products containing glu-p-1 (2-amino-6-methyldipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in food View raw API data

Sources (2)
  1. IARC Monographs Volume 56: Some Naturally Occurring Substances: Food Items and Constituents, Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines and Mycotoxins — IQ Group 2A; PhIP Group 2B, MeIQx Group 2B, MeIQ Group 2B, Glu-P-1 Group 2B, Glu-P-2 Group 2B, AαC Group 2B, Trp-P-2 Group 2B (1993) (1993) — regulatory
  2. EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM): Scientific Opinion on the Risk for Human Health Related to the Presence of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines (HAAs) in Food — PhIP, IQ, MeIQx, and related HCAs; Margin of Exposure approach; grilled and fried meat as primary exposure matrices (2021) (2021) — regulatory

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →