Calcium Lactate Shows Potential in Acrylamide Reduction

PURAC has developed PURACAL ACT: a product based on calcium lactate. The calcium in this formulation interferes with the reaction between asparagine and reducing sugars; the key step in the formation of acrylamide.

16/04/09 Acrylamide has been found in a wide variety of foods such as bread and potatoes, as well as in some specialty products such as crisps, biscuits and coffee. Because of health concerns, the snack industry is working on solutions to reduce the presence of this compound to the lowest possible levels. At the same time food authorities are preparing legislation to regulate the presence of acrylamide in food products.

For the snack industry, reducing acrylamide levels without reducing the quality of a product is a considerable challenge. This is especially true for starchy products that have been deep-fried, roasted or baked at high temperatures, such as extruded snacks and potato chips.

PURAC has developed PURACAL ACT: a product based on calcium lactate. The calcium in this formulation interferes with the reaction between asparagine and reducing sugars; the key step in the formation of acrylamide.

“Acrylamide reduction up to 80%, without affecting the crispiness and taste in chips and snacks is feasible” according to Inge Evers, Sr. Application Technologist of PURAC. “PURACAL ACT allows more flexibility in the production process because it does not require extra time or special temperatures to be effective. Typical variations in pH or moisture content in the snack process will not affect the performance of PURACAL ACT in acrylamide reduction”

PURACAL ACT is a calcium-based product and is developed to reduce acrylamide up to 80% and to improve crispiness of snacks whilst also potentially improving the color of the end-product. The mechanism of PURACAL ACT is that calcium is able to complex asparagine reducing its availability to form acrylamide.

Furthermore, calcium plays an important role in improving texture of potato based products. The calcium interacts with the pectin in the cell walls, resulting in a crispier product. At ambient conditions, chips treated with PURACAL ACT keep their crispiness. Especially in those processes where blanching is applied in order to leach out reducing sugars, PURACAL ACT is able to restore the loss of firmness. The potato cultivar and seasonal influences play a role in the color formation of the end-product. If the potato quality is not optimal PURACAL ACT is able to improve color and reduce brown-coloring without deterioration of other sensorial aspects.

PURACAL ACT is commercially applied in potato chips to reduce acrylamide and improve crispiness. Increased concentration of PURACAL ACT results in higher calcium uptake and more acrylamide reduction. In fried potato chips, calcium levels of 3000 mg/kg can easily be achieved.

The Agrotechnology & Food science group in Wageningen produced extruded snacks with PURACAL. PURACAL was added in different concentrations in the dough and resulted in significant acrylamide reduction without impacting the sensorial attributes.

The results of extensive research by PURAC, which was executed in co-operation with the Agrotechnology & Food science group in Wageningen (the Netherlands), shows that PURACAL ACT reduces acrylamide formation and improves the overall quality of potato-fried products.