Acrylamide in crisps: Effect of blanching studied on long-term stored potato clones

Acrylamide, a probable carcinogen, is formed via the Maillard reaction between reducing sugars and the amino acid asparagine during heating of carbohydrate-rich foods. Potatoes contain high levels of these precursors, and thus potato crisps can contain high levels of acrylamide. In this study, the effect of blanching on the concentration of precursors and acrylamide content was studied in three potato clones stored at 4 degrees C or 8 degrees C. After 6, 12 and 18 weeks of storage, potatoes were sliced and blanched for 3 min in water at 80 degrees C and deep-fat fried for 3 min at an initial frying temperature of 180 degrees C and a final frying temperature of 160 degrees C. Blanching reduced the acrylamide content by 51-73%. Interestingly, blanching affected the levels of the precursor sugars and asparagine, but not the acrylamide content to the same extent. The reduction of precursors was 17-66%. This may be due to restriction of the transport of precursors to the surface, as the availability of precursors for reactions is crucial for acrylamide formation. In conclusion, blanching was an efficient way to reduce acrylamide content in potato crisps, in addition to using potatoes low in asparagine and reducing sugars. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.