Detection of acrylamide traces in some commonly consumed heat-treated carbohydrate-rich foods by GC-MS/MS in Bangladesh

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine acrylamide traces in180 heat-treated carbohydrate-rich foods through gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) in Bangladesh. Detected acrylamide contents were 730 ± 293 μg/kg, 244 ± 83 μg μg/kg, 598 ± 222 μg/kg, 340 ± 189 μg/kg, 548 ± 278 μg/kg, 217 ± 77 μg/kg, 558 ± 297 μg/kg, 391 ± 263 μg/kg and 679 ± 285 μg/kg in potato chips, chanachur (a locally processed food), potato crisps, biscuits, cake, bread, crackers, breakfast cereals and French fries respectively. The use of different ingredients during the manufacturing process might affect on acrylamide formation as different ingredients contained variable amounts of free asparagines and reducing sugars to form acrylamide. Among the analyzed samples, 20% of potato chips, 5% of chanachur, 15% of potato crisps, 15% of biscuit, 10% of cake, 15% of bread, 20% of crackers, 10% of breakfast cereal and 20% of French fries samples, representing only a few samples in each category, were found to have acrylamide contents above benchmark levels set by the European Commission [EC]. This study provided an estimation of the presence of acrylamide traces in heat treated carbohydrate rich foods consumed by local population.

Keywords: Acrylamide; Bangladesh; Carbohydrate-rich foods; GC-MS/MS.

Figure 1

Chromatogram after injecting acrylamide 25 ppm standard solution into GC-MS/MS.

Figure 2

Chromatograms after injecting samples into GC-MS/MS. A: Potato chips; B: Chanachur; C: Potato Crisps; D: Biscuits; E: Cake; F: Bread; G: Crackers; H: Breakfast Cereals; I: French Fries.