French-fried potatoes are a popular side dish; but when potatoes are cooked to a golden brown or overcooked, a potentially toxic compound called “acrylamide” may form.
At the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Food Science Research Unit (FSRU) in Raleigh, North Carolina, scientists are working to reduce acrylamide, a known carcinogen, while helping to preserve health-promoting compounds in foods. A team led by food scientist Suzanne Johanningsmeier has developed a method that rapidly estimates the amount of acrylamide in white potato French fries.
Researchers involved in the study, which was supported by the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative Grant, included FSRU research leader Van-Den Truong and North Carolina State University (NCSU) sweetpotato and potato breeder Craig Yencho and postdoc Oluwatosin Adedipe.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: USDA AgResearch Magazine