Reducing the Acrylamide content in some bakery and fried products by using certain pre-treatments

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of pre-treatments in reducing acrylamide in types of thermally processed foods, including bakery products (Baladi bread and croissant) and fried foods (eggplant and falafel). The applied treatments included incorporation of ascorbic acid to Baladi bread dough, enrichment of croissant dough with vitamin E, pre-drying of eggplant slices prior to frying, and using air-frying as alternative to deep-frying for falafel preparation. Physiochemical properties, frying oil quality parameters, color indices (L*, a*, b*), acrylamide levels, and sensory attributes were assessed for all processed samples. The results revealed that Baladi bread supplemented with 1% ascorbic acid exhibited a substantial reduction in acrylamide content (88.26 µg/kg) compared with the untreated control (233.10 µg/kg). Similarly, fortification of croissant dough with vitamin E decreased acrylamide formation by approximately one-quarter, confirming the role of vitamin E as an effective antioxidant during baking. Pre-drying eggplant slices at 60 °C for 30 minutes prior to frying markedly reduced acrylamide content to 112 µg/kg versus 233 µg/kg in the control, while air-fried falafel demonstrated a considerable reduction nearly one third in acrylamide levels, recording 468 µg/kg. Color measurements showed a clear correlation between increased browning intensity and higher acrylamide levels, whereas sensory evaluation indicated higher acceptability scores for treated samples compared to their untreated counterparts. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of incorporating organic acids, antioxidants, dehydration techniques, and air-frying technology as effective pre-processing strategies for reducing acrylamide to safe levels in bakery and fried foods while maintaining desirable sensory quality.