Investigations on the effect of antioxidant type and concentration and model system matrix on acrylamide formation in model Maillard reaction systems

• Caffeoylquinic and dicaffeoylquinic acids are potent scavengers of glyoxal.
• Phenolics did not as effectively inhibit acrylamide in systems containing glucose.
• Acrylamide mitigation was influenced by antioxidant type and concentration.
• System matrix and reaction conditions greatly affected the behaviour of phenolics.

The formation of acrylamide in model Maillard reaction systems containing phenolic compounds was examined, with regards to phenolic type, concentration, and model system matrix. In dry glyoxal/asparagine waxy maize starch (WMS) systems, 9 out of 10 examined phenolics demonstrated an inhibiting effect, with the most significant reductions (55–60%) observed for caffeoylquinic acids. In WMS glucose/asparagine systems, examination of three different concentrations (0.1, 0.5 and 1 μmol/g WMS) suggested a ‘minimum effective concentration’ for epicatechin and caffeic acid, whilst addition of caffeoylquinic acids resulted in dose-dependent acrylamide reduction (25–75%). The discordant results of further studies utilising different matrices (dry and wet-to-dry) indicated that, apart from the nature and chemical reactivity, the matrix and the physical state of the reactants might be important for acrylamide formation.