St. Paul, MN (November, 2018)—The general population loves potatoes, especially when they’re fried and crispy. However, a 2006 study revealed that french fries and potato chips account for 38% of dietary acrylamide.
Acrylamide is a highly toxic organic molecule that has been linked to cancer and reproductive and development defects, according to OSHA and other organizations. In 2002, scientists discovered that acrylamide forms in carbohydrate-rich foods during high-temperature cooking, such as frying. Because of this, acrylamide has introduced unknown and potentially major risks to the potato industry.
In his presentation “Acrylamide and Processed Potatoes,” Paul C. Bethke, of the USDA–Agricultural Research Service at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, discusses acrylamide—what it is, how it’s formed, and why it’s such a concern. He then presents mitigation approaches, which he divides into two categories: processing/cooking methods and raw product characteristics. The recommended processing/cooking methods include cooking at a lower temperature and preparing a larger cut of fry.
Bethke emphasizes mitigation approaches, offering a range of strategies that address the sugar component of acrylamide development. By managing irrigation to prevent sugar-end defects, harvesting at chemical maturity, managing nutrients to properly manure the crop, and picking low-sugar varieties of potatoes, farmers can minimize acrylamide formation.
While the American Cancer Society has not yet linked increased acrylamide intake to specific cancer types, many organizations, such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the European Food Safety Authority, are still concerned. For this reason, the potato industry should adopt these acrylamide mitigation approaches going forward.
This webcast is part of the “Focus on Potato” series on the Plant Management Network (PMN). PMN is a cooperative, not-for-profit resource for the applied agricultural and horticultural sciences. Together with more than 80 partners, which include land-grant universities, scientific societies, and agribusinesses, PMN publishes quality, applied, and science-based information for practitioners.
