Influence of frying conditions on acrylamide content and fatty acid composition in french fries

Abstract

The influence of different frying conditions (150, 170, 190°C/6, 8, 11 min) on the moisture, fat, acrylamide content, fatty acid composition, and colour parameters of French fries deep-fried in palm oil was investigated. Correlations between these parameters were established. Frying conditions significantly influenced the acrylamide content, which ranged from 118.47 to 232.05 µg/kg at 150°C, 188.38 to 684.37 µg/kg at 170°C, and 192.36 to 1141.41 µg/kg at 190°C, respectively. The acrylamide content in potatoes fried for 11 min at 170°C and 190°C exceeded the benchmark level established by the European Commission. Negative correlations were determined between the acrylamide content and moisture content (r= -0.943÷-0.989) and the colour parameter L* (r= -0.820 ÷ -0.999). In contrast, positive correlations were obtained with fat content (r= 0.922-0.990), fatty acids (r= 0.917-0.993) and the colour parameters a* (r= 0.966-1.000) and b* (r= 0.637-0.999). French fries are considered one of the main sources of acrylamide intake for humans, so it is recommended to fry potatoes at lower temperatures (150, 170°C) for shorter durations (6, 8 min), until a golden yellow colour is obtained.