Impact of Various Pre-Treatments on Acrylamide Formation Infrench Fries

Abstract

Acrylamide, a carcinogenic compound, is produced in fried and baked food products due to Maillard reaction. In the present study, acrylamide contents were quantified in French fries collected from various fast food chains and local vendors in Lahore& Faisalabad cities. The results indicated that higher acrylamide concentration (higher than permissible daily intake) was found in local vendor & homemade foods. This difference in acrylamide formation is linked with processing time and oil quality. Furthermore, various pre-treatments like par frying, freezing and their combination were studied to reduce the acrylamide in the processed food. Both treatments significantly reduced acrylamide formation (90%) in fried foods at lab scale. Moreover, these pre-treatments have significantly reduced acrylamide (40%) in local vendor process food without changing the frying conditions and oil quality.