Measurement of Acrylamide in Potato Chips by Portable FTIR Analyzers

Significance of the Topic

Acrylamide is a potential human carcinogen formed during high temperature cooking of carbohydrate rich foods Rapid and accurate measurement during food processing is essential for regulatory compliance and quality control Traditional methods are time consuming and require specialized laboratories

Objectives and Study Overview

This application note assesses the performance of portable FTIR analyzers for quantifying acrylamide in potato chips The goal is to compare results with a reference LC MS MS assay while minimizing sample preparation and enabling on site analysis

Methodology and Instrumentation

Sample Preparation

• Sixty four potato chip samples pressed into chip cakes to expel oil
• Ground cakes applied to a single reflection diamond ATR interface

Instrumentation

• Agilent 5500 and 4500 portable FTIR analyzers with diamond ATR optics
• Cary 630 FTIR for method development in lab settings

Data Acquisition and Processing

• Spectra recorded from 4000 to 700 cm-1 at 4 cm-1 resolution with 64 co added scans
• Normalization and second derivative transformation using Savitzky Golay filter
• Partial least squares regression model built in Pirouette software

Main Results and Discussion

Acrylamide levels measured by LC MS MS ranged from 169 to 2453 µg/kg Portable FTIR models demonstrated strong correlation with reference values for regular chips (r>0.90, SEP 75 µg/kg) Seasoned and sweet chip subsets achieved SECV values of 75 and 98 µg/kg respectively Key spectral variation occurred between 1200 and 1700 cm-1 Fat band at 1730 cm-1 was excluded from the model Overall performance matched or exceeded bench top MIR and NIR spectrometers

Benefits and Practical Applications

The FTIR method offers significant advantages:

• Eliminates solvents columns and cartridge consumables
• Reduces operator expertise requirements
• Enables real time quality control at production or receiving sites
• Supports rapid decision making and process optimization

Future Trends and Opportunities

Integration of portable FTIR systems into food processing lines Expansion of spectral libraries and chemometric models for other contaminants Broader adoption in field testing for raw materials and finished products Potential for remote monitoring and cloud based data analysis

Conclusion

Portable FTIR analyzers equipped with diamond ATR provide a simple rapid and reliable alternative to mass spectrometry for acrylamide quantification in potato chips They enable onsite testing reduce costs and support regulatory and quality control objectives

References

• Ayvaz H and Rodriguez Saona L Application of Handheld and Portable Spectrometers for Screening Acrylamide Content in Commercial Potato Chips submitted for publication to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2013
• Agilent Technologies Agilent’s FTIR family lab results anywhere you want Publication 5991 1405EN October 2012