Acrylamide mitigation in potato chips by using NaCl

Acrylamide is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals but there is no direct evidence that this substance causes cancer in humans. In April 2002, Swedish researchers shocked the world when they presented preliminary findings on the presence of acrylamide in fried and baked foods, most notably potato chips and French fries, at levels of 30-2300 ppb. The objective of this research was to study the effect of immersing potato slices in a NaCI solution in relation to acrylamide formation in the prepared potato chips. Potato slices (Verdi variety, diameter: 40 mm, width: 2.0 mm) were fried at 170 °C) for 5 min (final moisture content of ∼ 2.0 %). Prior to frying, the potato slices were treated in one of the following ways: (i) Blanching in hot water at 90°) for 5 min; (H) lmmersio n in a 3% NaCI solution at 25 °) for 5 min; (Hi) BIa nching in hot water at 90°) for 5 min plus immersio n in a 3% NaCI solution at 25 °) for 5 min; (iv) Blan ching in hot water at 90°) for 5 min plus immersion in a distilled water at 25 °) for 5 min. Raw potato slices were used as control. Blanching reduced the acrylamide content of potato chips with 12 %. On the other hand, when potato slices were immersed in salt solution, the acrylamide only decreased with 3 %. Interestingly, when blanched potato slices were immersed in NaCl solution and then fried, the acrylamide concentrations of the potato chips decreased with 66 %. Blanching seems to make the NaCI diffusion in potato tissue easier leading to a significant acrylamide reduction in the potato slices after frying.