Effect of Storage on Acrylamide and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural Contents in Selected Processed Plant Products with Long Shelf-life

This study investigated the effects of storage and temperature duration on the stability of acrylamide (AA) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in selected foods with long shelf-life. Products were analysed fresh and stored at temperatures of 4 and 25 °C after 6 and 12 months (with the exception of soft bread samples, which were analysed after 15 and 30 days). The AA and HMF contents were determined with RP-HPLC coupled to a diode array detector (DAD). AA and HMF were not stable in many processed plant products with a long shelf-life. The highest AA reduction and the largest increase in HMF content were observed in the samples stored at a higher temperature (25 °C) for 12 months. It was found that an initial water activity of 0.4 is favourable to HMF formation and that AA reduction may be considerably greater in stored products with a low initial water activity. The kind of product and its composition may also have a significant impact on acrylamide content in stored food. In the final period of storage at 25 °C, acrylamide content in 100% cocoa powder, instant baby foods, 20% cocoa powder and instant coffee was 51, 39, 35 and 33% lower than in products before storage, respectively. It was observed that a large quantity of ε-NH2 and SH groups of amino acids in some products can be assumed as the reason for the significant AA degradation.