Effect of Additives and Color on Levels of Acrylamide in Chips and Crisps from Selected Solanum Tuberosum Tubers

Abstract

Acrylamide is a small and simple molecule that could be formed in heated foods via several different mechanisms, which may involve reactions of carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, lipids and possibly other minor food components. It is a chemical substance formed by a reaction between amino acids and sugars (dissacharides) typically occurs when foods with high starch content such as potatoes, root vegetables and bread, are cooked at high temperatures (over 120°C) in a process of frying, roasting or baking that is capable of forming the Maillard reaction. A total of ten samples for analysis of levels of acrylamide due to use of additives and colour formation, were collected using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. They were collected from selected retail outlets and hotels from different regions within the county during three different times within a spell of three months. Analysis was done in triplicates. The presence and concentration were analysed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Colour analysis was done using colour spectrophotometer, based on the three colour parameters; lightness, yellowness and redness, the lightest value was 66.31 nm, yellowness of 34 nm and 6.9 nm in the redness. The lower parameter values were experienced in chips samples where lightness was 36.31 nm, yellowness 3.3 nm and 26 nm for redness parameters.  Samples for analysis on effect of additives and flavours on levels of acrylamide were collected from vendors that stocked the flavored chips and crisps. Five samples for each flavour and additive were analysed using HPLC. The lowest levels were found to be 0.87 ± 0.01 mg/kg in bhajia and the highest 1.83 ± 0.01 mg/kg in garlic and peppered chips while for crisps, salted and vinegar samples recorded concentrations of 17.2 mg/kg and 49.2 mg/kg respectively. Results from this research on effect of colour were still within the range of chips products and this could be due to the Maillard reaction that occurs during cooking and therefore, these additives would not reduce the reaction and acrylamide levels while additives in potato crisps and chips have an impact on the levels of acrylamide since these are added to the raw potatoes during soaking before they are cooked. These have an effect on the reducing sugars and asparagine that reacts as a result of temperature rise to produce acrylamide unlike the additives in potato chips that are added after cooking.