Effect of Carbohydrates on Formation of Acrylamide in Cooked Food Models

Abstract

Various carbohydrates, including monosaccharides, disaccharides, sugar alcohols and starch, were heated at 180 degrees C with asparagine in a model food formula to investigate their impact on acrylamide formation. Levels of acrylamide formed from mono- and disaccharides began to increase after 5 min, reached max. values after 15 min and decreased by one-third of the max. concn. after 30 min; this pattern was independent of pH or the nature of the individual mono- or disaccharides used. However, amounts of acrylamide formed from ketoses were much higher than those formed from aldoses. Only small amounts of acrylamide were formed from sugar alcohols. Max. amounts of acrylamide formed from starch and -cyclodextrin were comparable to those formed from glucose, but the rate of formation was relatively slow. Because some of the results obtained could not be explained by the Maillard reaction it is suggested that unknown compounds, formed by decomposition of carbohydrates, may react with asparagine to form acrylamide.