Towards a better understanding in acrylamide formation, degradation and reduction in model systems (and foodstuffs)

A new baking methodology to study acrylamide formation, based on a closed stainless steel tube reactor, was tested on its repeatability. The main advantage of this frying procedure includes the possibility to study the acrylamide formation mechanism in different artificial mixtures, eliminating some variable factors during frying, such as heat flux, degradation of the frying oil and water evaporation. As a first application of this optimized heating concept, the influence of fat oxidation and fat hydrolysis on acrylamide formation was tested during baking of French fries, as well as during heating in the tube reactor. In both cases, no differences in acrylamide formation could be found between fresh oil and oxidized or hydrolyzed heating oils.