A preconcentration method for indirect determination of acrylamide from chips, crackers and cereal-based baby foods using flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Abstract

Acrylamide is a toxic species for human health, and is a Maillard reaction product which forms spontaneously in heat treatment process of foods. Therefore, a simple, fast and cost-effective method was developed for the indirect determination of acrylamide in processed foods particularly consumed by children. The method is based on ion–pairing of acrylamide with fluorescein (F2−) in presence of Ni(II) ions at pH 9.0, and then extraction of the formed ternary complex into micellar phase of poly(ethyleneglycol-mono-p-nonylphenylether) (PONPE 7.5) before analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The ultrasonic-assisted cloud point extraction (UA-CPE) has been used for the preconcentration of acrylamide in the samples prior to its FAAS detection. The matrix matched calibration curve is linear in range of 0.3–150µgkg−1 under optimal reagent conditions (1.75mL of 0.1molL−1 ammonia buffer at pH 9.0, 2.2mgL−1 Ni(II), 4.0×10−4molL−1 F2−, 0.4% (w/v) NH4Cl and 0.7% (v/v) PONPE 7.5) with sensitivity enhancement of 160-fold. The proposed method has been validated by assessment of the following parameters; the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) (0.08µgkg−1 and 0.28µgkg−1, respectively) with a relative standard deviation (RSD%) lower than 6.3%, and extractive recovery higher than 95% for acrylamide spiked at levels of 5 and 25µgkg−1. The method was successfully applied to the indirect determination of acrylamide in the processed foods and two CRMs with satisfactory results.