Acrylamide and Thermal-Processing Indexes in Market-Purchased Food.

Joanna Michalak,Marta Czarnowska-Kujawska,Elżbieta Gujska

doi:10.3390/ijerph16234724

Joanna Michalak, Marta Czarnowska-Kujawska + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16234724

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Abstract

Determining acrylamide (AA) content in foods using chromatographic methods is expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, there is a need to develop a simple, economical method for monitoring the content of acrylamide in foods. This study analysed whether there is a relationship between acrylamide levels with some heat-induced parameters, such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and browning, in order to assess their usefulness in predicting the potential acrylamide levels in market-purchased food. Sixty plant-based food products were tested. The correlation coefficients for AA levels with L*, a* and b* values and HMF content were significant (p < 0.05) for French fries and potato chips. There was no statistically significant correlation between thermal-processing indexes (HMF and colour parameters) and acrylamide levels in commercial bread, breakfast cereals and biscuits. The results indicate that these classical thermal-processing indexes are not directly related to the acrylamide content in commercial cereal-based food and they cannot be indicators of AA level. Thus, the correlation between HMF and colour parameters with acrylamide content depends on the type of food and it is difficult to estimate the amount of AA based on these classical thermal-processing indexes of market-purchased food.

Highlights

One of the latest neurotoxic and carcinogenic substances discovered in food is acrylamide (AA)
The acrylamide content ranged from 55 μg/kg for soft wheat bread to 546 μg/kg for potato crisps (Table 1)
The current study showed that the acrylamide content in potato products was correlated with the HMF content but there was no statistically significant correlation in commercial cereal-based products (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

One of the latest neurotoxic and carcinogenic substances discovered in food is acrylamide (AA). Acrylamide is primarily found in heated plant-based foods such as potato, cereal and bakery products [1]. Acrylamide can be formed in heated food by the conversion of acrolein, acrylic acid, wheat gluten or by de-amination of 3-aminopropionamide or as a result of asparagine enzymatic decarboxylation [2,3,4]. Estimation of acrylamide occurrence in food commodities is a great concern in many countries. Factors such as differences in food composition in terms of carbohydrate, free asparagine, reducing sugars, ammonium bicarbonate, competing amino acids and water contents, together with temperature (more than 120 ◦ C) and pH levels, can influence the acrylamide amount [5,6]. The quantification of acrylamide in foods is a challenge due to its low molecular weight, high polarity, very good solubility in water, high reactivity and low volatility

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