Short communication Determination of acrylamide in local and commercial cultivar of potatoes from biological farm Nadia Marchettini a , Silvia Focardi a , Massimo Guarnieri b , Cristiana Guerranti b,⇑ , Guido Perra a a Department of Chemistry, University of Siena, Via della Diana 2A, 53100 Siena, Italy b Department of Environmental Science, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy article info Article history: Received 17 May 2012 Received in revised form 22 August 2012 Accepted 17 September 2012 Available online 29 September 2012 Keywords: Biological potatoes Biological extra virgin olive oil Acrylamide Asparagine Reducing sugars abstract This paper reports the results of a preliminary study on the characterization of parameters influencing formation of acrylamide in fried potatoes, from biological cultivation. The formation of acrylamide was investigated in relation to frying in biological extra virgin olive oil and commercial seed oil. Three differ- ent cultivars (Rossa di Colfiorito, Quarantina bianca genovese and Kennebec) were chosen. Asparagine, glucose, fructose and sucrose concentrations were determined in potato slice before frying, while acryl- amide content was analysed by LC–ESI-MS/MS in the slices fried in seed and extra virgin olive oil. The Kennebec cultivar showed differences in its potential for acrylamide formation, which was primarily related to its relatively high asparagine and reducing sugars contents, respect the other local cultivars (particulary Quarantina). Values of acrylamide below detection limit (LOD) were found in Quarantina bianca genovese cultivar samples fried in extra virgin olive oil and peanuts seed oil and higher in peanuts seed oil fried potatoes of Kennebec cultivar. Ó 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The discovery of acrylamide, a carcinogen formed in heated car- bohydrate-rich foods (Becalski, Lau, Lewis, & Seaman, 2003; Tar- eke, Rydberg, Karlsson, Eriksson, & Tornqvist, 2002) prompted a great number of investigations, in particular in potatoes chips and fries, where great concentrations in acrylamide are found (Becalski et al., 2004). Many studies suggest that low levels in both asparagine and reducing sugar contents reduces acrylamide con- tent (Amrein et al., 2003; Vivanti, Finotti, & Friedman, 2006), but alternative mechanisms are proposed, including via the formation of acrolein from the thermal oil degradation during the cooking (Becalski et al., 2003). Furthermore, in the cooking phase, the dif- ferent foods become in contact, and many interaction factors (oils, water, temperature, pH, pesticides, additives) became crucial in the quality of final edible food. For these reasons, in this study, the attention was focussed on three different varieties of potatoes from biological farming system, choosing two local varieties, Quarantina bianca genovese and Rossa di Colfiorito and one national diffuse variety, Kennebec, to evaluate the different nutritional quality re- lated to the potential acrylamide formation. This study was aimed to investigate the existence of a rela- tionship between the factors potentially involved in the forma- tion of acrylamide and the levels of the substance in the product ready for consumption, through a series of experimental measurements performed varying important parameters such as potato varieties (therefore, nutritional composition) and the type of oil. The Quarantina potato, is a local variety, originated, probably, from the first potato cultivars in 1780 in Liguria mountains, very important to biodiversity safeguard, food quality and for the sus- tainable development of the marginal area of the Ligurian Appe- nini. The local red potato cultivar, coming from Colfiorito, is cultivated in the Central Italy Appenini (Umbria, Marche). The origin is from the Desireée cultivar, Netherlands, introduced in Italy at the beginning of the sixties, but in this area the cultivar has found a particular acclimation, developing very peculiar quality food characteristic. The Kennebec is a large potato, com- ing from United States, one the most diffuse in Italy, for the high yield, the easy growth, the resistance to many diseases and long shelf life. To avoid influences in the aminoacids and other compound con- tents (Chandra & Mondy, 1981; Jia et al., 2001) due to herbicides or other substances (i.e. phytohormones), we used potatoes and extra virgin olive oil only by biological cultivation. In particular, the extra virgin olive oil used was prior analysed for the presence of organo- chlorine contaminants (PCBs and pesticides) and found to have minimum levels of contamination (Guerranti, Perra, Renzi, Focardi, & Focardi, 2008). 0308-8146/$ - see front matter Ó 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.09.077 ⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 0577 232879; fax: +39 0577 232806. E-mail address: guerranticri@unisi.it (C. Guerranti). Food Chemistry 136 (2013) 1426–1428 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Food Chemistry journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/foodchem