Accumulation of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural in cookies during the backing process: Validation of an extraction method

During baking, complex chemical reactions take place in the cookies, such as the Maillard reaction (MR) and caramelisation (CR). Both reactions involve glucose and fructose, generated from starch and sucrose hydrolysis during baking. Among the many products formed, HMF a possible mutagen, seems particularly interesting because of a rapid accumulation during the process.No validation of HMF quantification method has been proposed for cereal products. Our objectives were to validate a simple HPLC method with UV detection and study the kinetic of HMF accumulation in a cookie model during baking at three temperatures. Solubilization in water followed by protein precipitation in trichloroacetic acid was selected as the best extraction procedure avoiding interferences with the matrix. During the baking process, HMF accumulated exponentially with an activation energy of 10.6 kJ mol−1, once the water activity decreased from 0.40 downwards. HMF in commercial cookies ranged from 0.5 to 74.6 mg kg−1.