Effective method of minimizing the acrylamide and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural formation in french fries by lactic acid fermentation

Acrylamide (AA) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) are processing toxicants that are formed when food is fried. They are toxic and are thought to be a health hazard because of their high consumption levels in the diets of urban people. The purpose of this study was to minimize the formation of AA and HMF in french fries by lactic acid fermentation (Lactobacillus plantarum strain NCDC LP 20). HMF was quantified with a UV-spectrophotometer and AA was determined by HPLC-DAD. Fermentation without blanching reduced the amount of HMF and AA in french fries by about 85.52% and 53.96%, respectively. Additionally, the combined effect of fermentation and blanching enhanced the rate of reduction in the amount of HMF and AA, i.e., 91.11% and 57.50%, respectively. Results showed that reducing sugar content is highly correlated with the level of acrylamide (r = 0.905, p <= 0.001) and level of HMF (r = 0.927, p < 0.001) than the asparagine content. The color and texture of the fried sample treated with fermentation were better compared to the control sample hence can be recommended as an effective method of reducing processing toxicants.