The influence of variety, agronomical factors and storage on the potential for acrylamide formation in potatoes grown in Norway

Freeze-dried potato samples were obtained from the varieties Saturna and Peik that had been subjected to different agronomic conditions and storage. Powdered samples originating from the same growth year were mixed with oil and heated simultaneously in a stone oven in order to study the potential for acrylamide (AA) formation in a fixed time and temperature situation. For baked samples originating from unstored potato a linear relationship was found between asparagine (Asn) and reducing sugar (RS) content and AA formation. For these samples the AA content varied linearly with a* except from samples that originally were high or low in Asn. Upon storage the correlation between the quantity of the common precursors, Asn and RS, and AA were smaller. Results of the baking experiments suggest that the AA potential for stored potato cannot be predicted from RSs and Asn alone, and that other factors that might change during storage are of importance. Due to north European conditions the RSs might not always be the limiting substrate for AA formation. Additional information for the precursor content in 2004 and 2005 are included. No systematic effect on precursor contents related to chemical vine killing was observed. Precursor contents varied among and between varieties, different cultivation years and growth sites.