The aim of this work was to develop an analytical method for determining acrylamide in potato-based products by gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS/MS) using solid-phase extraction (SPE) clean-up. Different conditions for extraction and clean-up of AA extracts were studied on a potato crisps reference material (RM) with the value of 625 ± 45 μg/kg: the solvent volume used for AA elution, the extraction water temperature, the volume of hexane used, and also the addition of Carrez solutions. The SPE cartridge sorbents contain silica-based C-18 groups (anion and cation exchangers) and polymers (polystyrene-divinylbenzene). After SPE clean-up, extracts were derivatized with bromine compounds. A good efficiency for AA extraction and a cleaned-up extract from this matrix were obtained when the SPE procedure was carried out with water at room temperature, simultaneous with hexane, without Carrez solutions, by using two types of SPE cartridges (Isolute Multimode; Isolute ENV+), and 5 mL of elution solvent. The SPE clean-up procedure functionality was demonstrated by the results obtained in the Food Analysis Performance Assessment Scheme proficiency test (z-score: −0.8) on French fries (precooked) matrix and also by comparative analysis with a laboratory procedure, validated and accredited on cereal-based food matrices, in which liquid–liquid extraction and clean-up through a florisil column were realized (RSD(R) = 2.23–5.10%).

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of some pre-treatment applications toward acrylamide mitigation in potatoes fried in domestic conditions modeled after those found in Romania, by using a pan and a fryer. Before being fried in a pan, potato strips were treated in one of the following ways: soaked in cold water for 15, 60, and 120 min (a); soaked in hot water at different combinations of temperatures and durations (60, 70, 80 °C for 5, 10, 15 min) (b); soaked in a NaCl solution (c), and; in a citric acid solution (d) both solutions of 0.05% and 1% concentration for 30 min. For potatoes fried in a fryer, the (a) pre-treatment and soaking in water at 80 °C for 5, 10, and 15 min were applied. Untreated samples were used as a control. French fries were analyzed in terms of moisture and acrylamide content, color, and texture parameters. The pre-treatments applied reduced the acrylamide content in French fries by 4–97% when fried in the pan and by 25–47% when fried in the fryer. Acrylamide content of French fries was negatively correlated with L* parameter and moisture content and positively correlated with a* parameter. The pre-treatments applied can be used successfully by consumers to reduce acrylamide content.

This study reports the acrylamide (AA) content of some cereal-based products purchased from different Romanian suppliers. The AA level was determined by using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) in SRM mode. The analytical method was characterized by a high degree of sensitivity (limit of detection (LOD) = 1.23 μg/kg, and limit of quantification (LOQ) = 3.70 μg/kg). A total of 46 food samples of bread, biscuits, and similar products (doughnuts, cakes, cookies etc.) were analysed. The results showed that the AA level varied between food samples, for soft bread (5.63-85.05 µg/kg), biscuits (8.55-548.80 µg/kg), crackers (13.92-167.58 µg/kg) and for similar products (12.57-99.01 µg/kg) which were lower than the benchmark levels set by the Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2158. The highest AA content (548.80 µg/kg) was found for biscuits, while the lowest AA content (5.63 µg/kg) was obtained for wheatbased bread. From the analysed products, 4 biscuit samples exceeded the benchmark levels of 350 µg/kg established by European Union.

The study aimed to investigate the influence of repeated frying processes of potatoes in a fryer on the acrylamide content of French fries. For deep-frying, potatoes of the Asinaria variety, sunflower and palm oils were used. For each oil type, five frying cycles at 170°C, for 6 min were performed and the acrylamide content of the final product was analyzed using the solid phase extraction (SPE) technique and the GC-MS/MS method. The acrylamide content increased in the case of sunflower oil in the first three frying cycles, while for palm oil it increased in the fourth frying cycles, then a decrease was recorded. The mean acrylamide content of French fries samples fried in sunflower oil (1477.07 μg/kg) was higher than the one of French fries fried in palm oil (1258.95 μg/kg). For all samples analyzed, the acrylamide content exceeded the benchmark level of 500 μg/kg settled by the EU 2017/2158. The acrylamide content of French fries was correlated with the color parameter L*.