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

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

Moderate risk

Dietary Glu-P-2 ingestion is restricted to high-temperature pyrolysis food scenarios — primarily charred meat surfaces from direct-flame grilling and heavily pyrolyzed food products. Glu-P-2 was co-discovered with Glu-P-1 in the same beef extract fraction that launched HCA food safety research in the 1970s; both compounds co-occur in food matrices where glutamic acid pyrolysis occurs. Glu-P-2 dietary concentrations in charred food surfaces are typically in the same order of magnitude as Glu-P-1 (0.1–2 ng/g in heavily charred portions, essentially undetectable in non-charred meat), making the two glutamic acid pyrolysis HCAs the primary pyrolysis-specific HCA pair in dietary exposure assessments. Glu-P-2 is mutagenic in multiple Salmonella strains (TA98, TA100) in the Ames test with S9 metabolic activation, and is active in mammalian cell mutagenicity and DNA damage assays. The same food safety interventions that reduce Glu-P-1 — physical removal of charred food portions, avoidance of direct-flame charcoal grilling, selection of lower-temperature cooking methods for protein foods — apply equally to Glu-P-2, as both are products of the same high-temperature glutamic acid pyrolysis pathway. No food-specific maximum regulatory level for Glu-P-2 exists in EU or other regulatory systems; risk management relies on cooking guidance and avoidance of charred food surfaces rather than product-level monitoring or regulatory limits. The overall dietary public health significance of Glu-P-2 is substantially lower than the Maillard HCAs (PhIP, MeIQx, IQ) that dominate dietary HCA burden in conventional cooking scenarios.

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

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

Also known as: 1,3,8-triazatricyclo[7.4.0.02,7]trideca-2(7),3,5,8,10,12-hexaen-4-amine, Glu-P-2, 2-Aminodipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole, 2-AMINODIPYRIDO(1,2-A:3',2'-D)IMIDAZOLE.

IUPAC name
1,3,8-triazatricyclo[7.4.0.02,7]trideca-2(7),3,5,8,10,12-hexaen-4-amine
CAS number
67730-10-3
Molecular formula
C10H8N4
Molecular weight
184.2 g/mol
SMILES
C1=CC2=NC3=C(N2C=C1)N=C(C=C3)N
PubChem CID
49970

Risk for people

Moderate risk

Dietary Glu-P-2 ingestion is restricted to high-temperature pyrolysis food scenarios — primarily charred meat surfaces from direct-flame grilling and heavily pyrolyzed food products. Glu-P-2 was co-discovered with Glu-P-1 in the same beef extract fraction that launched HCA food safety research in the 1970s; both compounds co-occur in food matrices where glutamic acid pyrolysis occurs. Glu-P-2 dietary concentrations in charred food surfaces are typically in the same order of magnitude as Glu-P-1 (0.1–2 ng/g in heavily charred portions, essentially undetectable in non-charred meat), making the two glutamic acid pyrolysis HCAs the primary pyrolysis-specific HCA pair in dietary exposure assessments. Glu-P-2 is mutagenic in multiple Salmonella strains (TA98, TA100) in the Ames test with S9 metabolic activation, and is active in mammalian cell mutagenicity and DNA damage assays. The same food safety interventions that reduce Glu-P-1 — physical removal of charred food portions, avoidance of direct-flame charcoal grilling, selection of lower-temperature cooking methods for protein foods — apply equally to Glu-P-2, as both are products of the same high-temperature glutamic acid pyrolysis pathway. No food-specific maximum regulatory level for Glu-P-2 exists in EU or other regulatory systems; risk management relies on cooking guidance and avoidance of charred food surfaces rather than product-level monitoring or regulatory limits. The overall dietary public health significance of Glu-P-2 is substantially lower than the Maillard HCAs (PhIP, MeIQx, IQ) that dominate dietary HCA burden in conventional cooking scenarios.

Regulatory consensus

4 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Glu-P-2 (2-Aminodipyrido[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 / 1 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 4 positive / 1 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-2 (2-aminodipyrido[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-2 (2-Aminodipyrido[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-2 (2-aminodipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole) safe for you?

Dietary Glu-P-2 ingestion is restricted to high-temperature pyrolysis food scenarios — primarily charred meat surfaces from direct-flame grilling and heavily pyrolyzed food products. Glu-P-2 was co-discovered with Glu-P-1 in the same beef extract fraction that launched HCA food safety research in the 1970s; both compounds co-occur in food matrices where glutamic acid pyrolysis occurs. Glu-P-2 dietary concentrations in charred food surfaces are typically in the same order of magnitude as Glu-P-1 (0.1–2 ng/g in heavily charred portions, essentially undetectable in non-charred meat), making the two glutamic acid pyrolysis HCAs the primary pyrolysis-specific HCA pair in dietary exposure assessments. Glu-P-2 is mutagenic in multiple Salmonella strains (TA98, TA100) in the Ames test with S9 metabolic activation, and is active in mammalian cell mutagenicity and DNA damage assays. The same food safety interventions that reduce Glu-P-1 — physical removal of charred food portions, avoidance of direct-flame charcoal grilling, selection of lower-temperature cooking methods for protein foods — apply equally to Glu-P-2, as both are products of the same high-temperature glutamic acid pyrolysis pathway. No food-specific maximum regulatory level for Glu-P-2 exists in EU or other regulatory systems; risk management relies on cooking guidance and avoidance of charred food surfaces rather than product-level monitoring or regulatory limits. The overall dietary public health significance of Glu-P-2 is substantially lower than the Maillard HCAs (PhIP, MeIQx, IQ) that dominate dietary HCA burden in conventional cooking scenarios.

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

Glu-P-2 (2-Aminodipyrido[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-2 (2-aminodipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole)?

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

Look up products containing glu-p-2 (2-aminodipyrido[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 →