Determination of acrolein in french fries by solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

The frying of foods in the home can be a cause of indoor pollution due to the formation of acrolein. The emission of acrolein formed during frying in soybean, corn, canola, sunflower and palm oils was studied. A GC/MS method has been developed to determine acrolein in French fries using SPME as the sampling technique after derivatization with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH). Optimum SPME conditions included desorption at 250 °C for 2 min after an adsorption time of 10 min at room temperature. The method presented good resolution, repeatability, detection and quantification limits, and linearity of response. French fries were prepared in five different oils with four frying steps. The results showed that changes in acrolein concentration occurred after frying potatoes in different types of oil and at different frying cycles. Potatoes fried in soybean oil contained the lowest concentration of acrolein. Shoestring potatoes contained a lower concentration of acrolein than potato chips and French fries, respectively, because of the higher surface/volume ratio.