Analytics and applications of polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR)-Current research progress.

Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) is a synthetic food additive containing a complex mixture of various esters. In recent years, there has been a growing trend to use PGPR-stabilized water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions to replace fat in order to produce low-calorie food products. In this respect, it is essential to comprehensively characterize the PGPR molecular species composition, which might enable to reduce its required amount in emulsions and foods based on a better understanding of the structure-activity relationship. This review presents the recent research progress on the characterization and quantitative analysis of PGPR. The influencing factors of the emulsifying ability of PGPR in W/O emulsions are further illustrated to provide new insights on the total or partial replacement of PGPR. Moreover, the latest progress on applications of PGPR in food products is described. Current studies have revealed the complex structure of PGPR. Besides, recent research has focused on the quantitative determination of the composition of PGPR and the quantification of the PGPR concentration in foods. However, research on the quantitative determination of the (poly)glycerol composition of PGPR and of the individual molecular species present in PGPR is still limited. Some natural water- or oil-soluble surfactants (e.g., proteins or lecithin) have been proven to enable the partial replacement of PGPR in W/O emulsions. Additionally, water-dispersible phytosterol particles and lecithin have been successfully used as a substitute of PGPR to create stable W/O emulsions.

Kinetic modeling of malondialdehyde reactivity in oil to simulate actual malondialdehyde formation upon lipid oxidation.

The reactivity of malondialdehyde in saturated glycerol triheptanoate oil was studied over a wide temperature range (298.15-453.15 K). With respect to the non-ideal character of a lipid medium, a kinetic model was proposed that described the experimental malondialdehyde data by a reversible hydrolytic cleavage and an irreversible aldol self-condensation reaction. Significant parameter estimates were obtained by using a global one-step non-linear regression procedure. The aldol self-condensation of malondialdehyde showed to be the main degradation route of malondialdehyde in oils. Simulation of the malondialdehyde formation during lipid oxidation of sunflower oil demonstrated that, depending on the heating time, the experimentally obtained malondialdehyde concentrations can substantially underestimate the ongoing lipid oxidation.

Effect of fish-oil supplementation on breastmilk long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration: a randomized controlled trial in rural Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: For infants and young children in low-income settings, human milk (HM) is the main source of omega-3 (n-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPs), including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). However, the n-3 LCPs concentrations of HM show wide variability, largely depending on the maternal intake of marine foods. This may put children living far from coastal areas at risk of inadequate intake. We evaluated the efficacy of fish-oil (FO) supplementation of lactating mothers on HM n-3 LCPs concentrations in a rural setting from Ethiopia. METHODS: Mothers (n = 360) with children 6-12 months old were randomized to receive either intervention FO capsules (215 mg DHA + 285 mg EPA) or control corn-oil capsules (without n-3 LCPs). In a random subsample of 154 participants, we analyzed LCPs in HM and child capillary blood using gas chromatography. RESULTS: Compared to the control, FO supplementation increased HM concentrations of DHA by 39.0% (95% CI: 20.6, 57.5%; P < 0.001) and EPA by 36.2% (95% CI: 16.0, 56.4%; P < 0.001), whereas the arachidonic acid (AA)/(DHA + EPA) ratio decreased by 53.5% (95% CI: -70.2, -36.7%; P < 0.001). We also found statistically significant association between the changes in (DHA + EPA)/AA ratio in HM and child capillary blood (P < 0.001). However, HM DHA concentrations remained lower than international norms after FO supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: FO supplementation improves n-3 LCPs content of HM. Future studies should evaluate different doses of n-3 LCPs and consider potential effect modifiers such as genetic polymorphism and diet. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01817634.

The effect of peeling and cooking processes on nutrient composition of Oromo dinich (Plectranthus edulis) tuber.

The effects of peeling and cooking processes (boiling, steaming and baking) on the proximate, amino acids, mono, and disaccharides content of Oromo dinich (Plectranthus edulis) tubers from selected landraces were investigated. The effect of peeling on the crude protein, reducing sugars and sucrose content of the tuber was not consistent across the landraces. Crude protein reduced in landraces DHSer, IWsh, DGArr, and DGArw but increased in landrace CWsh. Reducing sugars (fructose, glucose, and maltose) increase in landraces LWsh, CWsh, DGArr, and DOJiw but reduced in landrace DOSu. Sucrose reduced in landraces IWsh and LWsh but increased in landrace CWsh on dry matter basis. Peeling significantly reduced the dry matter, ash and crude fiber content of the tubers. Dry matter reduced in landraces CWsh, DGArr, and DGArw; ash reduced in landraces DHSer and DGArw; crude-fiber reduced in landraces DOSu, DOSer, LWsh, CWsh, DGArr, and DGArw. On contrary, peeling significantly increased the crude fat, sum of total amino acids content and energy density of the tubers. Crude fat increased in landrace DOSu, IWsh, CWsh, DGArr, and DOJiw. Sum of total amino acids increased in landraces DOSu, DOJiw, and DGArw. Energy density (KJ/100 g dm) increased in landraces DOSu, DHSer, IWsh, and DOJiw. Boiling and steaming significantly increased the ash content of the tubers in landrace LWsh. Steaming and baking significantly increased crude fiber in landraces IWch and CWsh, and carbohydrate content of the tubers in landrace LWsh. Boiling, steaming and baking significantly reduced the crude fiber and the energy density of the tubers in landrace LWsh. Baking significantly reduced the moisture content of the tubers in landraces IWch, LWsh and CWsh. Boiling significantly reduced reducing sugars and crude fat content of the tubers in landraces IWch, LWsh and CWsh. The reduction in reducing sugar and crude fat content most likely is due to leaching and the presence of essential oils respectively. Thus to get the best possible nutritional benefits from P.edulis tubers, cooking with their skin under optimized operation recommended.

Effects of n-3 long-chain PUFA supplementation to lactating mothers and their breastfed children on child growth and morbidity: a 2 × 2 factorial randomized controlled trial in rural Ethiopia.

Background: Recurrent infections and inflammation contribute to growth faltering in low-income countries. n-3 (ω-3) Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty-acids (LC-PUFAs) may improve immune maturation, resistance to infections, and growth in young children who are at risk. Objective: We evaluated the independent and combined effects of fish oil (500 mg n-3 LC-PUFAs/d) supplementation to lactating mothers and their breastfed children, aged 6-24 mo, on child morbidity, systemic inflammation, and growth in southwest Ethiopia. Design: A 4-arm double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted by enrolling 360 mother-infant pairs with infants 6-12 mo old. Study arms were both the lactating mother and child receiving fish oil intervention (MCI), only the lactating mother receiving fish oil intervention and child receiving placebo control (MI), only the child receiving intervention and mother receiving placebo control (CI), and both mother and child receiving a placebo supplement or control (C). The primary study outcome was linear growth using monthly changes in length-for-age z score. Anthropometric measurements were taken monthly, and hemoglobin, C-reactive protein, and blood LC-PUFAs were measured at baseline and after 6 and 12 mo of follow-up. Weekly morbidity surveillance was conducted throughout the study. Results: Fish-oil supplementation significantly increased blood n-3 LC-PUFA concentration (P < 0.01) and decreased the arachidonic acid:(docosahexaenoic acid + eicosapentaenoic acid) ratio (P < 0.001) in all intervention arms. No significant intervention effect was found on linear growth, morbidity, or systemic inflammation. Compared to the control group, a small positive effect on monthly changes in weight-for-length z scores was found in the CI arm (effect size: 0.022/mo; 95% CI: 0.005, 0.039/mo; P = 0.012) and the MCI arm (effect size: 0.018/mo; 95% CI: 0.001, 0.034/mo; P = 0.041). Conclusions: n-3 LC-PUFA supplementation of lactating mothers and children did not affect child linear growth and morbidity in a low-income setting. n-3 LC-PUFA supplementation given directly to children modestly increased relative weight gain. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01817634.

Do Current Fortification and Supplementation Programs Assure Adequate Intake of Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Belgian Infants, Toddlers, Pregnant Women, and Lactating Women?

Abstracts: Adequate intakes of fat-soluble vitamins are essential to support the growth and development of the foetus, the neonate, and the young child. By means of an online self-administered frequency questionnaire, this study aimed to evaluate the intake of vitamins A, D, E, and K in Belgian infants (n = 455), toddlers (n = 265), pregnant women (n = 161), and lactating women (n = 165). The contribution of foods, fortified foods, and supplements on the total intake was quantified. 5% of toddlers, 16% of pregnant women, and 35% of lactating women had an inadequate vitamin A intake. Conversely, excessive vitamin A intakes were associated with consumption of liver (products). Furthermore, 22% of infants were at risk for inadequate vitamin D intake due to the lack of prophylaxis, while consumption of highly dosed supplements posed a risk for excessive intakes in 6%-26% of infants. Vitamin D intake in pregnant women and lactating women was inadequate (median of 51%, respectively, 60% of the adequate intake). In all groups, the risk for inadequate intake of vitamin E and K was low. Contribution of fortified foods to vitamin A, D, E, and K intake was minor, except in toddlers. National fortification strategies should be investigated as an alternative or additional strategy to prevent vitamin D and A deficiency. There is a need to revise and set uniform supplement recommendations. Finally, non-users of vitamin D prophylaxis need to be identified for targeted treatment.

Effect of altitude on biochemical composition and quality of green arabica coffee beans can be affected by shade and postharvest processing method.

Although various studies have assessed altitude, shade and postharvest processing effects on biochemical content and quality of coffee beans, data on their interactions are scarce. The individual and interactive effects of these factors on the caffeine, chlorogenic acids (CGA) and sucrose contents as well as physical and sensory qualities of green coffee beans from large plantations in southwestern Ethiopia were evaluated. Caffeine and CGA contents decreased with increasing altitude; they respectively declined 0.12 and 1.23gkg-1 100m-1. Sucrose content increased with altitude; however, the altitude effect was significant for wet-processed beans (3.02gkg-1 100m-1), but not for dry-processed beans (0.36g kg-1 100m-1). Similarly, sucrose content increased with altitude with much stronger effect for coffee grown without shade (2.11gkg-1 100m-1) compared to coffee grown under shade (0.93gkg-1 100m-1). Acidity increased with altitude when coffee was grown under shade (0.22 points 100m-1), but no significant altitude effect was observed on coffee grown without shade. Beans grown without shade showed a higher physical quality score for dry (37.2) than for wet processing (29.1). These results generally underline the complex interaction effects between altitude and shade or postharvest processing on biochemical composition and quality of green arabica coffee beans.

Control of Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg and Fumonisins by Using a Combination of Crop Protection Products and Fertilization.

Fusarium verticillioides is the most common fungal pathogen associated with maize ear rot in Tanzania. In a two-year trial, we investigated the efficacy of crop protection (insecticide and/or fungicide) and fertilizer (nitrogen and/or phosphorus) treatments in reducing the occurrence of F. verticillioides and its mycotoxins in maize grown in Tanzania. Seasonal differences were seen to have a substantial influence on the incidence and severity of insect infestation, Fusarium ear and kernel rot, biomass of F. verticillioides and contamination with fumonisins. With regard to the application of fertilizers, it was concluded that the impact on maize stalk borer injury, Fusarium symptoms and fumonisin levels was not significant, whereas crop protection significantly reduced maize damage. The application of an insecticide was most effective in reducing insect injury and as a result of the reduced insect injury the insecticide treatment also resulted in a significant decrease in Fusarium symptoms. In 2014, fumonisin levels were also significantly lower in maize treated with an insecticide. Additionally, significant positive correlations between insect damage and Fusarium symptoms were observed. In conclusion, this study clearly shows that application of an insecticide alone or in combination with a fungicide at anthesis significantly reduces insect damage and consequently reduces F. verticillioides infection and associated fumonisin contamination.

Composition, Granular Structure, and Pasting Properties of Native Starch Extracted from Plectranthus edulis (Oromo dinich) Tubers.

Chemical composition, granular morphology and pasting properties of native starch extracted from tubers of Plectranthus edulis were analyzed. Starch was extracted from tubers of 6 accessions collected from 4 different areas in Ethiopia. Particle size analysis (PSA) and cryo-scanning electron microscope (cryo-SEM) imaging were used to examine the granular morphology and visualize the starch paste, respectively. Pasting properties, water absorption, and gelation capacity were compared. A wide range was found for the amylose (14.2% to 23.9%), calcium (216 to 599), potassium (131 to 878), and phosphorus (1337 to 2090) contents (parts per million per dry matter). PSA showed a bimodal distribution containing small spherical (14.6 µm) and large ellipse-shaped (190.4 µm) granules. Major differences were found for the pasting with peak viscosities differing from 3184 to 7312 mPa⋅s. Starch from accessions Chencha and Inuka showed a difference in packing density as clearly seen through cryo-SEM image at 75% of the peak viscosity (PV), and the granular integrity was mainly responsible for the significant difference in their PV and breakdown. Principal component analysis revealed 2 distinct groups: native starch extracted from accessions at the Wolayta zone (Inuka, Lofua, and Chenqoua) and other accessions (Jarmet, Arjo white, and Chencha). The study revealed the potential of P. edulis starch for its application in food industries. However, the inherent variation due to environmental conditions on physicochemical properties of the starch needs further investigation. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Plectranthus edulis is cultivated in considerable amounts throughout Ethiopia, which makes it a valuable starch source. Due to its low tendency to retrograde, it could be applied in food industry as an equivalent for the current starch sources. Moreover, the low amylose content makes it preferable for an application in refrigerated foods as this unique quality trait prevents syneresis in end products during storage. Based on the significantly higher pasting temperature of the studied P. edulis starch extracts, it can form an alternative for potato starch, which is less suitable for its use in pasteurized foods.

Exposure assessment of epoxy fatty acids through consumption of specific foods available in Belgium.

Epoxy fatty acids (EFAs) are secondary oxidation products formed from unsaturated fatty acid hydroperoxides. Seventeen food categories were analysed for C18 monoEFAs of food products available on the Belgian market. A quantitative exposure assessment was performed based on deterministic and probabilistic approaches combining these concentration data with consumption data obtained from the Belgian National Food Consumption Survey of 2004. A preliminary evaluation of any potential risk related to the intake of the studied EFAs through the studied foods was performed by applying the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) concept. Three food categories out of 17 foods, mayonnaise, butter-margarine and ready-to-eat meals were found to contribute most to the intake of EFAs. According to probabilistic determination, these foods had P50 intakes of 0.4085, 0.3328 and 0.2997 mg kg-1 bw day-1 respectively. They had P99.5 intakes of 3.7183, 2.7921 and 38.6068 mg kg-1 bw day-1 respectively. The intake below the TTC was from the consumption of cooked meat, smoked salmon and raw cured ham, with P50 intakes of 0.0006, 0.0007 and 0.0011 mg kg-1 bw day-1 respectively, and the other foods were above the TTC. Based on the TTC concept, a risk to human health could be identified related to the consumption of cheese, snacks foods, plant oils, French fries, dry nuts, chips, cured minced raw meat, cookies, fresh and frozen salmon and bacon.

Behavior of Malondialdehyde in Oil-in-Water Emulsions.

The impact of temperature, emulsifier, and protein type on the reactivity of malondialdehyde in oil-in-water emulsions was elucidated. Malondialdehyde recoveries in aqueous buffer, protein solutions, saturated oil, and fully hydrogenated coconut oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by whey proteins or Tween 20 at 4 or 40 °C were compared. At both temperatures, the reactivity of malondialdehyde in aqueous buffer was the same. In protein solutions, malondialdehyde concentrations were reduced further and its decrease was protein-dependent. Similar trends were found for emulsions. Surprisingly, malondialdehyde was very reactive in saturated oil because only 15% was recovered at 40 °C. However, the degradation in oil proved to be strongly temperature-dependent; at 4 °C, losses amounted to only 8%. This study revealed that malondialdehyde is a very reactive molecule, both in the presence and absence of proteins. Its use as a general oxidation marker should therefore be considered with care.

In vitro selenium accessibility in pet foods is affected by diet composition and type.

Se bioavailability in commercial pet foods has been shown to be highly variable. The aim of the present study was to identify dietary factors associated with in vitro accessibility of Se (Se Aiv) in pet foods. Se Aiv is defined as the percentage of Se from the diet that is potentially available for absorption after in vitro digestion. Sixty-two diets (dog, n 52; cat, n 10) were in vitro enzymatically digested: fifty-four of them were commercially available (kibble, n 20; pellet, n 8; canned, n 17; raw meat, n 6; steamed meat, n 3) and eight were unprocessed (kibble, n 4; canned, n 4) from the same batch as the corresponding processed diets. The present investigation examined if Se Aiv was affected by diet type, dietary protein, methionine, cysteine, lysine and Se content, DM, organic matter and crude protein (CP) digestibility. Se Aiv differed significantly among diet types (P< 0·001). Canned and steamed meat diets had a lower Se Aiv than pelleted and raw meat diets. Se Aiv correlated positively with CP digestibility in extruded diets (kibbles, n 19; r 0·540, P =0·017) and negatively in canned diets (n 16; r - 0·611, P =0·012). Moreover, the canning process (n 4) decreased Se Aiv (P =0·001), whereas extrusion (n 4) revealed no effect on Se Aiv (P =0·297). These differences in Se Aiv between diet types warrant quantification of diet type effects on in vivo Se bioavailability.

Effect of seed roasting on canolol, tocopherol, and phospholipid contents, Maillard type reactions, and oxidative stability of mustard and rapeseed oils.

This work was carried out to study the effect of roasting on different compositional parameters and oil oxidative stability of three Brassica species (Brassica juncea (BJ), B. juncea var. oriental (BJO), and Brassica napus (rapeseed, RS)). After 10 min of roasting at 165 °C, canolol contents of BJ, BJO, and RS oil reached 297.8, 171.6, and 808.5 µg/g, and the phospholipid phosphorus contents reached 453.6, 342.6, and 224.2 µg/g oil, respectively. The BJ and BJO seeds showed more prominent browning reactions than RS, due to the presence of higher amounts of reducing sugars, lysine, arginine and the occurrence of Maillard type browning reactions of phospholipids. The UV-visible spectra, fluorescence, and pyrrole content showed the presence of browning reaction products in the roasted seed oils. Roasting increased the oxidative stability of all varieties. Canolol formation could only partially explain such observations. Other roasting effects such as phospholipid extraction and Maillard type browning reaction products were also responsible for the increased stability.

Improved gas chromatography-flame ionization detector analytical method for the analysis of epoxy fatty acids.

In this study an improved method for analysis of epoxy fatty acids is reported. Data obtained from analysis of polar fatty acids has previously been presented, but due to the high number of compounds that co-elute in the polar fraction, the resultant chromatograms are complex which may lead to compromising the accuracy of the data. A three steps separation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) by solid-phase extraction (SPE) on a silica gel column to remove hydroxy fatty acid interferences was proposed. This approach is opposed to a two step separation procedure that has been often used to prevent analytical interferences caused by non-altered fatty acids. A gas chromatograph with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) equipped with a polar CP-Sil 88™ column was used. Quantification was based on the use of methyl nonadecanoate (C19:0), as an internal standard. Individual mono epoxy fatty acids were well separated without co-eluting compounds. The optimized method was finally applied to screen epoxy fatty acids in 37 fresh oil samples. Results obtained for the total epoxy fatty acids were in the range 0.03-2mgg(-1) of oil with repeatability coefficient of variation (CV) ranging from 2.8 to 9.9% for duplicate analysis showing that the results obtained are repeatable.

Malondialdehyde measurement in oxidized foods: evaluation of the spectrophotometric thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) test in various foods.

The ability of the spectrophotometric thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) test to determine malondialdehyde (MDA) in various food matrices was evaluated. MDA was extracted from the foods; the extract reacted with thiobarbituric acid (TBA); and the formed TBA-MDA adduct was measured spectrophotometricaly at 532 nm. In parallel, the TBA-MDA adduct was analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with fluorescence detection. Oils and unprocessed and uncooked meat and fish products did not exhibit any significant difference in the amount of MDA measured by the two methods, indicating that the major substance reacting with TBA and forming an adduct that absorbs at 532 nm was MDA. However, in products such as dry nuts, pork sausages, cooked fish, and gouda cheese, an overestimation of MDA was observed, indicating that TBARS test was unsuitable for accurate determination of MDA. Furthermore, the results in the present work suggest that the overestimation of MDA by the TBARS test as it was applied is related to the interference of other than secondary lipid oxidation products.

Isolation and identification of a potent radical scavenger (canolol) from roasted high erucic mustard seed oil from Nepal and its formation during roasting.

Roasting of high erucic mustard (HEM) seed has been reported to give a typical flavor and increase the oxidative stability of the extracted oil. A potent radical scavenging compound was successfully isolated from roasted HEM seed oil in a single-step chromatographic separation using an amino solid-phase extraction column. Nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry spectra revealed the compound as 2,6-dimethoxy-4-vinylphenol (generally known as canolol), and its identity was fully confirmed by chemical synthesis. The formation of canolol during roasting was compared among HEM varieties (Brassica juncea, B. juncea var. oriental, Brassica nigra, and Sinapis alba) together with a low erucic rapeseed variety. HEM varieties were shown to produce less than one-third of canolol compared to rapeseed at similar roasting conditions. This observation was linked to a lower free sinapic acid content together with a lower loss of sinapic acid derivatives in the HEM varieties compared to rapeseed. Around 50% of the canolol formed in the roasted seed was shown to be extracted in the oil. Roasting of HEM seed before oil extraction was found to be a beneficial step to obtain canolol-enriched oil, which could improve the oxidative stability.

Effect of rosemary extract dose on lipid oxidation, colour stability and antioxidant concentrations, in reduced nitrite liver pâtés.

The oxidative stability of liver pâté was investigated in relation to different doses of rosemary extract (RE) and sodium nitrite. Colour stability, lipid oxidation (TBARS) and concentrations of ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, carnosic acid and nitrite were measured on the batters before cooking and on the cooked liver pâté before and after exposure to light and air for 48 h at 4°C. Results showed that the use of RE significantly reduced lipid oxidation, whereas it had no effect on colour stability. Ascorbic acid and nitrite concentrations were significantly higher and lower respectively when RE was added. RE dose-dependently increased the concentration of carnosic acid. Lower sodium nitrite doses resulted in significantly lower nitrite concentrations and slightly lower TBARS values. It was concluded that in liver pâté sodium nitrite levels may be lowered to 80 mg/kg without negatively affecting colour and lipid stability and that the use of RE may help in maintaining lipid stability.

A two-year investigation towards an effective quality control of incoming potatoes as an acrylamide mitigation strategy in french fries.

The current entrance quality control used in the french fries industry is done based on colour evaluation with a United States Department of Agriculture/Munsell colour chart (after a short frying test, typically 180°C for 3 min). On the basis of a study carried out during two consecutive potato storage seasons, the possibility of a more effective entrance control of the raw potato tubers in order to identify batches of potatoes prone to acrylamide formation was evaluated. The current entrance control was compared to two other colour evaluation methods (CIE L*a*b* colour parameters and a process-specific Agtron analyser) and to reducing sugar content determination. Seasonal variability did not affect the slopes of the linear correlation models, for most of the parameters studied. The determination of colour formation measured by the Agtron methodology and reducing sugar content allowed a better identification of batches of potatoes prone to acrylamide formation compared with the current entrance control. Different scenarios represented by decision trees for quality control measures for incoming potatoes were evaluated while considering the investigation value of 600 µg kg⁻¹ for french fries recently prescribed by the European Commission. Samples were categorised based on predictions of threshold values and acrylamide levels in the final product.

Implementation of acrylamide mitigation strategies on industrial production of French fries: challenges and pitfalls.

This study evaluated various additives or process aids on the industrial production of French fries, based on their acrylamide mitigation potential and other quality parameters. The application of acetic and citric acid, calcium lactate and asparaginase was investigated on the production of frozen par-fried French fries at the beginning and end of the 2008 and 2009 potato storage season. Despite the fact that some of these treatments significantly reduced acrylamide content of the final product in preliminary laboratory experiments, their application on the industrial production of French fries did not result in additional acrylamide reductions compared to the standard product. Asparaginase was additionally tested in a production line of chilled French fries (not par-fried). Since for this product a longer enzyme-substrate contact time is allowed, a total asparagine depletion was observed for the enzyme treated fries after four days of cold storage. French fries upon final frying presented acrylamide contents below the limit of detection (12.5 µg kg⁻¹) with no effects on the sensorial properties of the final product.

Effective quality control of incoming potatoes as an acrylamide mitigation strategy for the French fries industry.

The correlation between sugar levels in raw material (potatoes), brown colouring and formation of acrylamide in French fries was investigated. The objective was to identify incoming potatoes (raw material) with a high potential for acrylamide formation. Ten different potato varieties commonly used in the Western European French fries industry were stored at 8 degrees C and samples were taken throughout the storage time. The current quality control used in the French fries industry for incoming potatoes is poorly correlated with acrylamide in the final product (r = 0.74). Changing the quality control parameter from colour to reducing sugars in raw material did not improve the correlation (r = 0.72). The best correlation was obtained with the Agtron colour measurement after blanching and a two-stage frying (r = -0.88). It was concluded that alternative entrance control measurements could provide better mitigation of the acrylamide issue in French fries from the start of production. These alternatives, however, are less cost-effective and more difficult to implement.