Method and system for reducing acrylamide concentration in thermally processed products

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and systems for reducing the concentration of acrylamide in thermally processed products, and products produced by such methods and systems. Baked products can be sprayed with a riboflavin solution and then irradiated with a UV light source to induce a monomer reaction of acrylamide and reduce the concentration of acrylamide in the baked product. In addition, riboflavin can be dissolved in the thermally processed product, and then the thermally processed product containing riboflavin is irradiated with a UV light source to induce a monomer reaction of acrylamide and reduce the concentration of acrylamide in the baked product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to reducing acrylamide concentrations in thermally processed products, and more particularly to using riboflavin in combination with UV irradiation to reduce acrylamide concentrations in thermally processed products. Background Art

[0002] Acrylamide is a chemical substance that can be formed in some foods via a non-enzymatic browning reaction between reducing sugars and the amino acid asparagine during high temperature cooking processes (such as frying, baking and roasting). Various methods have been developed to reduce the level of acrylamide formed during high temperature cooking processes. Such methods include treating raw materials with asparaginase to reduce the amount of asparagine present, adjusting the production process to minimize the formation of acrylamide, selecting plant varieties to minimize reducing sugar and asparagine content, adding competitive amino acids or acidic compounds, and ingredient pretreatment such as washing or soaking to remove reactants. However, such methods are usually unable to completely prevent the formation of acrylamide, and it is desirable to effectively reduce the concentration of acrylamide in thermally processed products. Summary of the invention

[0003] Generally, methods are described herein that use riboflavin as a non-toxic photoinitiator to initiate the monomer reaction of acrylamide in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) light. As described above, it is known to use riboflavin as a non-toxic photoinitiator to produce polyacrylamide gels (which are used for electrophoresis analysis) from acrylamide monomers in the presence of UV light. However, the methods described herein take advantage of riboflavin's ability to act as a photoinitiator and apply that ability to food product preparation and / or processing in order to reduce the acrylamide content in thermally processed consumer foods.

[0004] Riboflavin is a water-soluble vitamin that occurs naturally in some foods, is added to some foods, and is available as a dietary supplement. The vitamin is an essential component of two major coenzymes: flavin mononucleotide (FMN; also called riboflavin-5'-phosphate) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). These coenzymes play a major role in energy production, cell function, growth and development, and the metabolism of fats, drugs, and steroids.

[0005] Foods that are particularly rich in riboflavin include eggs, organ meats (kidney and liver), lean meats, and milk. Green vegetables also contain riboflavin. Cereals and grains are fortified with riboflavin in the United States and many other countries. The largest dietary contributors to total riboflavin intake for U.S. consumers are milk and milk beverages, bread and bread products, mixed foods whose main ingredient is meat, ready-to-eat cereals, and mixed foods whose main ingredient is grains.

[0006] Toxicity has not been reported with riboflavin taken orally. Reports of adverse effects have all been related to animal studies or cell culture studies involving phototoxic drugs, intense exposure of lens tissue to ultraviolet light, or a combination of both with high levels of riboflavin. There are no reports of adverse reactions attributable to riboflavin taken orally from food or dietary supplements.

[0007] Riboflavin has been shown to be able to act as a polymerization photoinitiator, forming free radicals when exposed to light and then transferring the free radicals to monomeric species which then polymerize into oligomers and polymers, leading to the use of riboflavin as a non-toxic photoinitiator to produce polyacrylamide gels (which are used to run electrophoretic analyses) from acrylamide monomers in the presence of UV light.

[0008] Riboflavin has been shown to strongly absorb specific wavelengths of light. For example, an aqueous solution containing 0.08 mg / mL or 80 ppm riboflavin measured in a quartz cuvette with an optical path length of 0.5 mm is typically characterized by having maximum absorbance in the UV range (222 nm, 266 nm, 373 nm) and the visible range (445 nm). It has also been observed that light corresponding to regions of stronger absorption will be more effective in activating riboflavin as a photoinitiator.

[0009] Described herein are methods for removing acrylamide from (i.e., reducing its concentration in) thermally processed food products by spraying the thermally processed product with a solution containing a water-soluble food-grade photoinitiator such as riboflavin, followed by irradiation with an intense UV light source. Such methods take advantage of the fact that a large amount of acrylamide in thermally processed food products is formed at or near the surfaces of the product during thermal processing (e.g., baking, frying, etc.) due to the higher temperatures and more intense browning reactions present at those surfaces.

[0010] According to some embodiments, a method of reducing the concentration of acrylamide in a heat-processed product includes spraying a riboflavin solution onto at least a portion of an outer surface of the heat-processed product; and irradiating the heat-processed product sprayed with the riboflavin solution with a UV light source to initiate a monomer reaction of acrylamide and reduce the concentration of acrylamide in the heat-processed product.

[0011] According to other embodiments, a method of reducing the concentration of acrylamide in a thermally processed product includes dissolving riboflavin in the thermally processed product, and irradiating the thermally processed product having the riboflavin dissolved therein with a UV light source to initiate a monomer reaction of acrylamide and reduce the concentration of acrylamide in the thermally processed product.

[0012] According to other embodiments, a system for reducing the concentration of acrylamide in a thermally processed product includes a conveyor comprising a product advancement surface configured to move the thermally processed product in a first direction; at least one nozzle positioned adjacent to the product advancement surface and configured to spray a riboflavin solution onto at least a portion of an exterior surface of the thermally processed product while the thermally processed product moves on the product advancement surface of the conveyor; and at least one UV light source positioned adjacent to the product advancement surface and downstream of the at least one nozzle, the at least one UV light source configured to irradiate at least a portion of the exterior surface of the thermally processed product while the thermally processed product moves on the product advancement surface of the conveyor.

[0013] The riboflavin solution may be a solution in which riboflavin is dissolved in water, a solution in which riboflavin is dissolved in a solution containing water and ethanol, etc. The riboflavin solution may contain about 1 ppm to about 1000 ppm of riboflavin. The riboflavin solution may be sprayed onto the outer surface of a heat-processed product (e.g., biscuits, bread, etc.) or dissolved in a heat-processed product (e.g., molasses, etc.) in an amount of about 1% by weight to about 5% by weight of the heat-processed product.

[0014] The heat-processed product sprayed with the riboflavin solution can be irradiated with a UV light source providing a wavelength between 200 nm and 400 nm (e.g., 254 nm, 365 nm, etc.). In certain aspects (e.g., depending on the intensity of the UV light source), the heat-processed product can be irradiated with the UV light source for about 1 second to about 60 seconds. Preferably, the heat-processed product is irradiated with UV light in a manner that ensures that the UV light penetrates the entire thickness of the heat-processed product. The heat-processed product can be a ready-to-eat product (e.g., a biscuit product, a bread product, potato chips, French fries, cookies, etc.), or can be a product that can be used as a raw material for preparing other products (e.g., molasses, etc.).

[0015] The inventors have unexpectedly discovered that spraying a riboflavin-containing solution onto the exterior surface of a heat-processed baked product and dissolving the riboflavin in the heat-processed product, followed by irradiating the heat-processed product with a UV light source, significantly reduces the concentration of acrylamide known to be produced in the heat-processed product during heat processing. Heat-processed products produced according to the methods and systems described herein have reduced acrylamide concentrations compared to heat-processed products that have not been subjected to the methods and systems described herein, and make heat-processed products produced by the methods and systems described herein significantly safer for consumers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Embodiments of systems and methods related to methods and systems for reducing acrylamide concentration in thermally processed products are disclosed herein. This specification includes the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 is a process flow diagram of an exemplary method for treating a thermally processed product to reduce acrylamide concentration therein by spraying the exterior surface of the thermally processed product with a riboflavin solution followed by UV light exposure;

[0018] Figure 2 is a process flow diagram of another exemplary method for treating a thermally processed product to reduce acrylamide concentration therein by dissolving riboflavin in the thermally processed product followed by UV light irradiation;

[0019] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a system for treating a thermally processed product to reduce acrylamide concentration therein by spraying the exterior surface of the thermally processed product with a riboflavin solution followed by UV light irradiation;

[0020] Figure 4 is a diagram showing a system for treating a thermally processed product to reduce acrylamide concentration therein by dissolving riboflavin in the thermally processed product followed by UV light irradiation;

[0021] Figure 5 is a graph showing the percentage reduction of acrylamide (AA) at various riboflavin concentrations and light wavelengths;

[0022] Figure 6 It is the concentration of Ginger measured after storage at 126°F for 1 month. Graph of the concentration of oxidized volatiles in;

[0023] Figure 7 It means the presence of a graph of the concentration of oxidized volatiles in the cookies; and

[0024] Figure 8 is a graph showing the percent reduction of acrylamide (AA) produced by 100 ppm riboflavin spray as a function of UV lamp intensity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Methods and systems for reducing the concentration of acrylamide in a thermally processed product, and products produced by such methods and systems are described herein. The thermally processed product can be sprayed with a riboflavin or riboflavin-5'-phosphate solution and then irradiated with a UV light source to initiate a monomer reaction of acrylamide and reduce the concentration of acrylamide in the thermally processed product. Furthermore, riboflavin or riboflavin-5'-phosphate can be dissolved in the thermally processed product, and then the thermally processed product containing riboflavin is irradiated with a UV light source to initiate a monomer reaction of acrylamide and reduce the concentration of acrylamide in the thermally processed product.

[0026] A process flow diagram of an exemplary method 100 for treating a thermally processed product to reduce the concentration of acrylamide therein is shown in Figure 1 In certain aspects, method 100 can be used to process heat-processed products that are ready to eat (eg, cracker products, bread products, potato chips, French fries, etc.). Figure 1 The illustrated method 100 includes providing a heat-processed product (step 110), spraying a riboflavin solution onto at least a portion of an exterior surface of the heat-processed product (step 120); and irradiating the heat-processed product sprayed with the riboflavin solution with a UV light source to initiate a monomer reaction of acrylamide and reduce the concentration of acrylamide in the heat-processed product (step 130).

[0027] refer to Figure 3 , an exemplary system 300 for reducing the concentration of acrylamide in a thermally processed product includes a conveyor 310 having a product advancement surface 320 for supporting and transporting raw materials 330 (i.e., precursors to thermally processed products 350) upstream of a heat source 340, and for supporting and transporting the thermally processed products 350 themselves downstream of the heat source 340. In some embodiments, the conveyor 310 is a chain-linked conveyor belt, so that the portion of the thermally processed products 350 moved by the conveyor 310 will be exposed to UV light emitted by a UV light source 370 located below the conveyor 310. In some aspects, the heat source 340 is an oven that can bake the raw materials 330 to produce baked thermally processed products 350 (e.g., crackers, potato chips, gingerbread, cookies, etc.).

[0028] In some embodiments, system 300 includes a nozzle 360 ​​positioned adjacent to product advancement surface 320. Figure 3In the illustrated embodiment, the system 300 includes a first nozzle 360 ​​positioned above the product advancement surface 320 and a second nozzle 360 ​​positioned below the product advancement surface 320. Thus, the first and second nozzles 360 are positioned in a manner that can spray the riboflavin-containing solution onto both the upwardly facing surface and the downwardly facing surface of the thermally processed product 350 moving on the product advancement surface 320. Of course, it should be understood that the system 300 is shown as having two nozzles 360 by way of example only, and that more than two nozzles 360 (e.g., 3, 4, 5, 6, or more) or less than two nozzles 360 (e.g., one nozzle) may be used.

[0029] As described above, the riboflavin solution can be a solution of riboflavin or riboflavin-5'-phosphate dissolved in pure water, a solution of riboflavin or riboflavin-5'-phosphate dissolved in a solution containing water and a food-safe organic solvent such as ethanol, etc. Without being bound by theory, the incorporation of an organic solvent can accelerate the drying process after treatment and help keep the riboflavin solution free from microbial growth. In various embodiments, the riboflavin solution contains from about 1 ppm to about 1000 ppm of riboflavin or riboflavin-5'-phosphate. Figure 5 As shown, it has been found that increasing the concentration of riboflavin in a riboflavin-containing solution increases the resulting reduction of acrylamide in a thermally processed product that has been sprayed with a riboflavin-containing solution and later irradiated with a UV light source. The concentration of riboflavin can be adjusted upward or downward from a target concentration (e.g., 100 ppm) in order to optimize the balance between sensory acceptability of the treated product and acrylamide reduction in the treated product.

[0030] Return to reference Figure 3 In some aspects, the nozzles 360 are configured to spray the heat-processed product 350 moving on the product advancing surface 320 of the conveyor 310, so that the riboflavin-containing solution is applied to the exterior surface of the heat-processed product 350 in an amount of about 1% to about 5% by weight of the heat-processed product 350. For example, in some embodiments, when the heat-processed product is a baked product weighing 12.5 grams, In the case of biscuits, the amount of riboflavin-containing solution that can be sprayed onto the outer surface of the biscuit can be from about 0.1 g to about 0.7 g (from about 0.125 g to about 0.625 g in one aspect, from about 0.2 g to about 0.5 g in another aspect, and from about 0.3 g to about 0.4 g in another aspect).

[0031] Figure 3The system 300 also includes a UV light source 370 positioned adjacent to the product advancing surface 320 of the conveyor and downstream of the nozzle 360. Thus, after the outer surface of the heat-processed product 350 is sprayed with the riboflavin-containing solution by the nozzle 360, the UV light source irradiates the outer surface of the heat-processed product 350 while the heat-processed product 350 moves on the product advancing surface 320 of the conveyor 310.

[0032] exist Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the system 300 includes two UV light sources 370, namely a first UV light source 370 positioned above the product advancement surface 320 and a second UV light source 370 positioned below the product advancement surface 320. Thus, the first UV light source and the second UV light source 370 are positioned so that they can illuminate both the upward-facing surface and the downward-facing surface of the heat-processed product 350 sprayed with riboflavin solution moving on the product advancement surface 320. In some aspects, the UV light source 370 can be configured as an irradiation tunnel including a series of mercury lamps, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), or equivalent light sources capable of emitting UV light to initiate a reaction. In some aspects, forced air convection and heating can be added to the UV tunnel to achieve moisture reduction during or after UV irradiation of the heat-processed product sprayed with riboflavin as it passes through the tunnel.

[0033] In some embodiments, each of the UV light sources 370 is positioned relative to the product advancing surface 320 of the conveyor 310 such that the lamp of each UV light source 370 is located approximately 2.5 inches from the exterior (e.g., upwardly facing or downwardly facing) surface of the heat processed product 350. It should be understood that in various embodiments, depending on the intensity of the UV light source 370, the UV light source 370 may be positioned such that the lamp is further than 2.5 inches from the exterior surface of the heat processed product 350 (i.e., if the UV light source 370 is of medium to high intensity), or closer to 2.5 inches from the exterior surface of the heat processed product 350 (i.e., if the UV light source 370 is of low to medium intensity). Generally speaking, low lamp intensity can be considered to be 0-1000 μW / cm 2 , medium lamp intensity can be considered to be 1000-4000μW / cm 2 , and high lamp intensity can be considered as 4000-5000μW / cm 2 .

[0034] In some embodiments, UV light source 370 is configured to provide a wavelength between 200nm and 400nm. In some aspects, UV light source 370 is a mercury vapor lamp configured to provide a wavelength between 200nm and 600nm. In other aspects, UV light source 370 is a variable wavelength UV lamp configured to provide three wavelengths (i.e. 254nm, 302nm and 365nm). However, in other aspects, UV light source 370 is a high-intensity short-wave quartz grating lamp used together with a predetermined bandpass filter (e.g., 254nm filter, 365nm filter, etc.). It should be understood that the UV light source is described only by way of example, and other suitable UV light sources (e.g., light emitting diode (LED) lamps) may also be used.

[0035] refer to Figure 3 , the product advancing surface 320 of the conveyor 310 is set (e.g., via a control unit coupled to the conveyor 310) to move the heat-processed product 350 sprayed with the riboflavin solution at a speed that subjects the heat-processed product 350 sprayed with the riboflavin solution to the UV light source 370 for about 1 second to about 60 seconds. In various embodiments, if the UV light source 370 is high intensity, the speed of the conveyor 310 and the amount of time the UV light source 370 remains irradiating the heat-processed product 350 can be set so that the heat-processed product 350 is irradiated for about 1-15 seconds, if the UV light source 370 is medium intensity, the speed of the conveyor 310 and the amount of time the UV light source 370 remains can be set so that the heat-processed product 350 is irradiated for about 15-45 seconds, and if the UV light source 370 is low intensity, the speed of the conveyor 310 and the amount of time the UV light source 370 remains can be set so that the heat-processed product 350 is irradiated for 45-60 seconds. As mentioned above, low lamp intensity can be considered as 0-1000 μW / cm 2 , medium lamp intensity can be considered to be 1000-4000μW / cm 2 , and high lamp intensity can be considered as 4000-5000μW / cm 2 .

[0036] In the illustrated embodiment, the system 300 includes a dryer 380 downstream of the UV light source 370. The dryer 380 may be, for example, Figure 3One dryer, or two dryers 380 are shown, one of which is positioned above the conveyor 310 and one of which is positioned below the conveyor 310. The purpose of the dryer 380 is to reduce the moisture content added to the heat-processed product 350 due to the spraying of the riboflavin-containing solution by the nozzle 360 ​​so that the heat-processed product 350 can be packaged while it is in a dry state. It should be understood that the dryer will be set to a temperature or temperature range that will be below the threshold for acrylamide formation in the heat-processed product 350 as it passes through the dryer 380.

[0037] A process flow diagram illustrating another exemplary method 200 for treating a thermally processed product to reduce the concentration of acrylamide therein is shown in Figure 2 In certain aspects, method 200 can be used to process a thermally processed product that is in a semi-liquid / semi-solid form and can be used as an ingredient in the preparation of other products (eg, molasses, etc.). Figure 2 The illustrated method 200 includes providing a thermally processed component (step 210), spraying a riboflavin solution onto at least a portion of an exterior surface of the thermally processed component (step 220); and irradiating the thermally processed component sprayed with the riboflavin solution with a UV light source to initiate a monomer reaction of acrylamide and reduce the concentration of acrylamide in the thermally processed product (step 230).

[0038] refer to Figure 4 , an exemplary system 400 for reducing the concentration of acrylamide in a heat-processed product includes a conveyor 410 including a product advancing surface 420 for supporting and transporting a heat-processed product 450 having riboflavin dissolved therein. For example, in one aspect, the heat-processed product 450 is a semi-liquid / semi-solid / viscous product such as molasses to which riboflavin is added (e.g., in the form of a solution of riboflavin dissolved in water, a solution of riboflavin dissolved in a solution of water and ethanol, etc.), and the riboflavin-containing product 450 (e.g., molasses) is stirred until the riboflavin is dissolved therein. As described above, in various embodiments, the riboflavin solution contains from about 1 ppm to about 1000 ppm of riboflavin, and the riboflavin-containing solution is dissolved in the heat-processed product 450 in an amount of about 1% to about 5% by weight of the heat-processed product 450.

[0039] Figure 4 The system 400 also includes a UV light source 470 positioned adjacent to the product advancement surface 420 of the conveyor 410. Thus, the heat-processed product 450 having riboflavin dissolved therein is irradiated by the UV light source 470 while the heat-processed product 450 moves on the product advancement surface 420 of the conveyor 410. Figure 4In the illustrated embodiment, the system 400 includes one UV light source 470 positioned in such a manner that it irradiates the heat-processed product 450 sprayed with riboflavin solution moving on the product advancement surface 420 from above. Since the heat-processed product 450 is in a semi-liquid / semi-solid / viscous form, the inventors have found that having one UV light source 470 positioned above the heat-processed product 450 sufficiently penetrates the heat-processed product 450 and sufficiently irradiates the heat-processed product with UV light. It should be understood that the system 400 may also include two UV light sources 470, which are similar to the two UV light sources 370 of the system 300, namely, a first UV light source 470 positioned above the product advancement surface 420 and a second UV light source 470 positioned below the product advancement surface 420.

[0040] exist Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the heat-processed product 450 is shown as being held in a heat-safe container such as a tray 490 or the like, which includes a bottom wall 492 and side walls 494 extending upwardly from the bottom wall. In one aspect, the bottom wall 492 of the tray 490 is formed of or coated with a light-reflective material (e.g., aluminum, etc.) that will reflect UV light emitted from above by the UV light source 470 onto the heat-processed product 450 and promote dispersion of the UV light throughout the heat-processed product 450.

[0041] In some embodiments, the UV light source 470 is positioned relative to the product advancing surface 420 of the conveyor 410 such that the lamp of the UV light source 470 is located approximately 2.5 inches from the exterior (e.g., upward facing) surface of the heat processed product 450. As described above, it should be understood that in various embodiments, depending on the intensity of the UV light source 470, the UV light source 470 may be positioned such that the lamp is closer to 2.5 inches from the exterior surface of the heat processed product 450 (i.e., if the UV light source 470 is of medium to high intensity), or farther from the exterior surface of the heat processed product 450 (i.e., if the UV light source 470 is of low to medium intensity). As described above, low lamp intensity may be considered to be 0-1000 μW / cm 2 , medium lamp intensity can be considered to be 1000-4000μW / cm 2 , and high lamp intensity can be considered as 4000-5000μW / cm 2 .

[0042] Similar to Figure 3 UV light source 370, Figure 4The UV light source 470 is configured to provide a wavelength between 200nm and 400nm. In some aspects, the UV light source 470 is a mercury vapor lamp configured to provide a wavelength between 200nm and 600nm. In other aspects, the UV light source 470 is a variable wavelength UV lamp configured to provide three wavelengths (i.e., 254nm, 302nm, and 365nm). However, in other aspects, the UV light source 470 is a high-intensity short-wave quartz grating lamp used with a predetermined bandpass filter (e.g., a 254nm filter, a 365nm filter, etc.). It should be understood that other suitable UV light sources (e.g., LED lamps) may also be used.

[0043] refer to Figure 4 , the product advancing surface 420 of the conveyor 410 is set (e.g., via a control unit coupled to the conveyor 410) to move the heat-processed product 450 sprayed with the riboflavin solution at a speed that causes the heat-processed product 450 sprayed with the riboflavin solution to be irradiated by the UV light source 470 for about 1 second to about 60 seconds. In various embodiments, if the UV light source 470 is high intensity, the speed of the conveyor 410 and the time that the UV light source 470 irradiates the heat-processed product 450 can be set so that the heat-processed product 450 is irradiated for about 1-15 seconds. If the UV light source 470 is medium intensity, the speed of the conveyor 410 and the time that the UV light source 470 irradiates the heat-processed product 450 can be set so that the heat-processed product 450 is irradiated for about 15-45 seconds. If the UV light source 470 is low intensity, the speed of the conveyor 410 and the time that the UV light source 470 irradiates the heat-processed product 450 can be set so that the heat-processed product 450 is irradiated for 45-60 seconds.

[0044] As mentioned above, generally speaking, low lamp intensity can be considered to be 0-1000 μW / cm 2 , medium lamp intensity can be considered to be 1000-4000μW / cm 2 , and high lamp intensity can be considered as 4000-5000μW / cm 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the system 400 includes a dryer 480 downstream of the UV light source 470. The purpose of the dryer 480 is to reduce the amount of moisture added to the heat processed product 450 as a result of dissolving the riboflavin-containing solution into the heat processed product 450. As described above, it should be understood that the dryer will be set to a temperature or temperature range that will be below the threshold for acrylamide formation in the heat processed product as the heat processed product 450 passes through the dryer 480.

[0045] The advantages and embodiments of the methods and systems and products described herein are further illustrated by the following examples; however, the specific conditions, processing schemes, materials and material amounts, as well as other conditions and details listed in these examples should not be construed as unduly limiting these methods and systems. Unless otherwise specified, all percentages listed herein are by weight.

[0046] The following examples illustrate the reduction of acrylamide in thermally processed products according to exemplary methods described herein.

[0047] Example

[0048] Example 1

[0049] Experiments were performed (triplicate runs) and the The cookies were baked and intentionally exposed to a longer than normal thermal process (e.g., baking) time so as to contain higher than normal acrylamide levels (i.e., about 700 ppb) through riboflavin and UV treatment. The control cookies were heated at 110°C for 10 minutes to simulate hot cookies leaving the oven. The UV cookies were heated at 110°C for 10 minutes and then placed under UV light for 30 seconds on each side. The UV+riboflavin cookies were heated at 110°C for 10 minutes and then sprayed with an aqueous solution of 1000 ppm riboflavin-5-phosphate on each side and then placed under UV (365 nm) for 30 seconds to 60 seconds on each side. As shown in Table 1 below, the results of analyzing the cookies by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC / MS) showed that the acrylamide content was reduced by 25% to 51%, depending on the length of UV light exposure of the cookies and the amount of riboflavin solution applied to the cookies.

[0050] Specifically, as can be seen in Table 1 below, in the first run, control biscuit A had 758 ng / g acrylamide, UV biscuit A had 691 ng / g acrylamide, and UV+ riboflavin biscuit A had 591 ng / g acrylamide (a reduction of about 22%). In the second run, control biscuit B had 731 ng / g acrylamide, and UV+ riboflavin biscuit A had 361 ng / g acrylamide (a reduction of about 51%). In the third run, control biscuit C had 760 ng / g acrylamide, and UV+ riboflavin biscuit A had 536 ng / g acrylamide (a reduction of about 29%). On average, the control biscuits had about 750 ng / g acrylamide, and the UV+ riboflavin biscuits had about 496 ng / g acrylamide, a reduction of about 34%.

[0051] Table 1: Acrylamide reduction using UV light and UV light + riboflavin

[0052]

[0053] Example 2

[0054] At Nabisco Ginger Experiments were conducted during the manufacture of to determine how riboflavin spray plus UV light exposure would affect a thermally processed product containing thermally processed (and acrylamide-containing) ingredients (e.g., molasses and ginger raw material). Ginger raw materials containing approximately 360 ppb acrylamide were prepared as described above and collected after treatment with various concentrations of riboflavin spray and two different wavelengths of UV light. These samples were analyzed for acrylamide content by LC / MS.

[0055] Only a minimal reduction in acrylamide content was observed in the treated samples (average of about 2.1%). The detectable acrylamide in the raw material was introduced via molasses and ginger (which itself is heat processed), and thus it was found that acrylamide was not concentrated in ginger. These results indicate that, although spraying with a riboflavin-containing solution followed by UV irradiation is very effective in removing acrylamide from the surface of biscuits containing only acrylamide formed at their surface during thermal processing, this treatment is less effective when treating bulk biscuits containing ingredients that have themselves been thermally processed and contain acrylamide therein.

[0056] Example 3

[0057] This experiment was conducted to test whether UV treatment of heat-processed biscuits could cause an increase in the oxidation rate in the biscuits and, therefore, reduce the usable shelf life of the biscuits. and The samples were placed in accelerated storage at 126°F for one month (equivalent to six months of shelf storage at ambient temperature). After one month of accelerated storage, the samples were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) for oxidation volatiles, which are known markers of oxidative rancidity, namely, valeraldehyde, hexanal, heptenal, heptanal, and octanal.

[0058] As in Figure 6 As can be seen from the figure, for Ginger The results showed that there was no increased oxidation in the biscuits when sprayed with riboflavin solutions ranging from 1 ppm to 1000 ppm followed by UV light irradiation at both 254 nm and 365 nm. Figure 6 Shown in Ginger The hexanal values ​​detected in the samples were just above or below 1 ppm, well below the industry accepted value of 10 ppm. Figure 7The results show that spray treatment with 1 ppm to 1000 ppm riboflavin The cookies were then irradiated with UV light at 254 nm and 365 nm, which did not cause increased oxidation in the cookies. Figure 7 Shown in Hexanal values ​​detected in the biscuits were 1 ppm or less, well below the industry-accepted value of 10 ppm.

[0059] Example 4

[0060] Experiments (run in triplicate) were conducted to compare the effects of each UV wavelength alone and in combination with riboflavin pretreatment to remove acrylamide from baked products prepared to have normal acrylamide levels (no higher than normal acrylamide levels above 700 ppb, as used in Example 1). Solutions of various concentrations were prepared by dissolving appropriate amounts of riboflavin-5'-phosphate sodium salt dihydrate (Alfa Aesar, Ward Hill, Massachusetts, CAS #6184-17-4) in ultra-high purity water (18 Mohm resistivity) to achieve concentrations of 0 ppm, 1 ppm, 10 ppm, 100 ppm, and 1000 ppm riboflavin. Ultrasonic treatment was used for 20 minutes to aid dissolution of riboflavin in water.

[0061] The biscuits treated with riboflavin solution were irradiated with two different UV / visible light lamps and sunlight. The first lamp was a variable wavelength model (model UVP 3UV, Analytik Jena US, Beverly, Massachusetts) with 254nm, 302nm, 365nm bandpass settings, and the second lamp was a UV grille lamp (model R-52G, Analytik Jena US, Beverly, Massachusetts) with a removable 254nm bandpass filter.

[0062] The output of the two lamps at 254nm (with the biscuit located at a distance of 2.5" from the lamps) and the output of sunlight at 254nm were measured with an Analytik Jena US UVX radiometer. The sunlight exposure was the result of natural sunlight in Branchburg, New Jersey from 9:30am to 1:30pm on a sunny day in August 2019. The results are shown in Table 2 below:

[0063] Table 2: UV light and sunlight emission

[0064]

[0065] As can be seen in Table 2, both UV lamps have very similar outputs with their filters kept in place. The R-52G lamp with the filter removed has a much higher output at 254nm and provides output of the full Hg lamp spectrum from 200nm to 600nm, which subjects the sample to higher levels of UV and visible light at multiple wavelengths. Daylight is seen as much lower intensity than either of the UV lamps tested.

[0066] Treat by spraying each side of the biscuits with the riboflavin solution 2-3 times (equivalent to applying approximately 0.4g-0.5g of solution) Biscuits (each biscuit weighs 12.5 g). The sprayed biscuits were immediately placed under a UV light source at a distance of 2.5 "and irradiated for 60 seconds on each side. Experiments were performed using a UVP-3UV lamp at 365 nm, a UVP-3UV lamp at 254 nm, and an R-52G lamp with the filter removed (full Hg lamp spectrum).

[0067] The acrylamide content of the treated and control biscuits was analyzed using the US FDA LC-MS method (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Office of Plant & Dairy Foods and Beverages, "Detection and Quantitation of Acrylamide in Foods," 2002). The experimental results are shown in Figure 5 middle.

[0068] It is noteworthy that the 0 ppm riboflavin aqueous solution still produced a small reduction in acrylamide content. This amount is consistent with the amount of weight the biscuits gained from the water in the spray and the error of the analytical method. Another set of biscuits was subjected to UV light exposure at 365 nm only and showed no reduction in acrylamide content, indicating that light exposure alone is not sufficient to reduce acrylamide content.

[0069] Statistical analysis of replicate data from the experiment showed that the 20% reduction compared to the control was statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. A statistically significant reduction in acrylamide content was achieved by 1ppm-1000ppm riboflavin treatment at 254nm and 365nm and 100ppm treatment of the full Hg spectrum, where the 100ppm riboflavin level was identified as the optimal concentration tested at 254nm and the 1000ppm riboflavin level was identified as the optimal concentration tested at 365nm. Only the 100ppm riboflavin treatment was tested using the full spectrum lamp because it appears to be the optimal concentration at 254nm. In addition, 254nm appears to be more effective than 365nm, and using the unfiltered full Hg lamp spectrum appears to be more effective than the 254nm or 365nm filtered spectrum.

[0070] Acrylamide reduction analysis results by LC / MS analysis (see Figure 5 ) showed a significant reduction in acrylamide, where at a riboflavin concentration of 100 ppm, the average acrylamide reduction was 25% when irradiated with 254 nm, and 18% when irradiated with 365 nm. At a riboflavin concentration of 1 ppm, the average acrylamide reduction was 14% when irradiated with 254 nm, and 11% when irradiated with 365 nm. At a riboflavin concentration of 10 ppm, the average acrylamide reduction was 20% when irradiated with 254 nm, and 16% when irradiated with 365 nm. At a riboflavin concentration of 1000 ppm, the average acrylamide reduction was 13% when irradiated with 254 nm, and 19% when irradiated with 365 nm.

[0071] In addition, if Figure 8 This experiment clearly demonstrates that the total intensity of the UV light delivered to the biscuits is also critical to the amount of acrylamide reduction achieved, with more intense UV light sources achieving greater reductions in acrylamide levels. Using a more intense source results in a greater reduction in acrylamide for a given exposure time, thus allowing the time required for exposure to be shortened relative to a lower intensity source.

[0072] In some embodiments, power densities approaching 3 W / cm2 can be used. 2 Without being limited by theory, a source of this intensity can significantly increase the effectiveness and reduce the processing time for acrylamide reduction by the above method.

[0073] To illustrate the critical nature of an intense UV light source for acrylamide reduction, biscuits with (1) no treatment, (2) water spray, and (3) water spray with 100 ppm riboflavin were subjected to sunlight on a sunny day in Branchburg, NJ (corresponding to the UV emission in Table 2 above) for a period of 4 hours, two hours on each side of the biscuit.

[0074] As can be seen in Table 3 below, no significant reduction in acrylamide was achieved for any of the three treatments involving exposure of the biscuits to sunlight rather than strong UV light similar to those described above. In Table 3, negative results indicate acrylamide levels higher than the control biscuits. In the case of the sunlight-only treatments, the higher acrylamide results than the control may be due to drying of the biscuits in sunlight, resulting in a greater content of solids relative to moisture and / or the generation of additional acrylamide through extended sunlight exposure.

[0075] Table 3: Sunlight exposure results of treated biscuits

[0076]

[0077] The above examples provide evidence that thermally processed food treatment with riboflavin spray followed by UV light exposure is an effective method for reducing acrylamide content. In addition, as shown in Example 4, in order to initiate the monomer reaction of acrylamide and significantly reduce the acrylamide concentration in the biscuits / thermally processed products, the thermally processed products must be irradiated with a UV light source having an intensity higher than that of sunlight after spraying the thermally processed products with the riboflavin-containing solution or after dissolving the riboflavin-containing solution in the thermally processed products. In general, the methods and systems described herein advantageously provide a significant reduction in acrylamide levels in thermally processed foods, thereby reducing the level of acrylamide present in foods treated by the methods and systems.

[0078] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many other modifications, changes and combinations may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the invention, and such modifications, changes and combinations will be deemed to fall within the scope of the concept of the invention.

Claims

1. A method of treating an oven-baked product containing acrylamide to reduce the concentration of acrylamide present in the oven-baked product, the method include: baking the oven-baked product material (330) in an oven (340) to provide the oven-baked product (350); spraying a riboflavin solution containing from about 1 ppm to about 1000 ppm of riboflavin from at least one nozzle (360) onto at least a portion of an exterior surface of the oven-baked product (350); and The monomer reaction of acrylamide is induced and the concentration of acrylamide present in the oven-baked product (350) is thereby reduced by irradiating the oven-baked product sprayed with the riboflavin solution with a UV light source (370) providing a wavelength selected to be absorbed by the riboflavin between 200 nm and 400 nm and a power of about 1000 μW / cm 2 to about 5000μW / cm 2 The intensity of light.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the riboflavin solution is selected from riboflavin dissolved in water and riboflavin dissolved in water and ethanol solution.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the spraying of the riboflavin solution comprises spraying the riboflavin solution onto the at least a portion of the oven-baked product (350) such that the riboflavin constitutes about 1 weight percent to about 5 weight percent of the oven-baked product (350).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation of irradiating the oven-baked product (350) sprayed with the riboflavin solution comprises irradiating the product at a temperature of from about 4000 μW / cm 2 to about 5000μW / cm 2 The oven-baked product (350) sprayed with the riboflavin solution is irradiated with the UV light source (370) for about 1 second to about 15 seconds or at an intensity of from about 1000 μW / cm 2 About 4000 μW / cm 2 The oven-baked product (350) sprayed with the riboflavin solution is irradiated with the UV light source (370) for about 15 seconds to about 45 seconds to reduce the concentration of acrylamide present in the oven-baked product (350).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising drying the UV irradiated oven-baked product (350) in a dryer (380) to reduce moisture content therein.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the riboflavin solution contains from about 1 ppm to about 100 ppm riboflavin.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said irradiating said oven-baked product (350) sprayed with riboflavin solution further comprises selecting said light at said wavelength that, when absorbed by said riboflavin, results in the formation of riboflavin free radicals.

8. A system for treating an oven-baked product containing acrylamide to reduce the concentration of acrylamide present in the oven-baked product, the system include: an oven (340) configured to bake the oven-baked product material (330) to provide the oven-baked product (350); a conveyor (310) comprising a product advancement surface (320) configured to move oven-baked products (350) in a first direction relative to the oven (340); at least one nozzle (360) positioned adjacent to the product advancement surface (320) and configured to spray a riboflavin solution containing from about 1 ppm to about 1000 ppm riboflavin onto at least a portion of an exterior surface of the oven-baked product (350) during movement of the oven-baked product (350) on the product advancement surface (320) of the conveyor (310) to provide an oven-baked product sprayed with the riboflavin solution; as well as at least one UV light source (370) positioned adjacent to the product advancement surface (320) and downstream of the at least one nozzle (360), the at least one UV light source (370) being configured to provide a UV radiation source for the oven-baked product (350) sprayed with the riboflavin solution while the oven-baked product (350) is moved on the product advancement surface (320) of the conveyor (310) by irradiating the product with a wavelength selected to be absorbed by the riboflavin solution between 200 nm and 400 nm and a power of from 1000 μW / cm 2 to about 5000μW / cm 2 The method further comprises irradiating at least a portion of the outer surface of the oven-baked product (350) sprayed with the riboflavin solution with light at an intensity of 100 to induce a monomer reaction of acrylamide and thereby reduce the concentration of acrylamide present in the oven-baked product (350) sprayed with the riboflavin solution.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the riboflavin solution is selected from riboflavin dissolved in water and riboflavin dissolved in a water and ethanol solution.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one nozzle (360) is configured to spray at least a portion of the exterior surface of the oven-baked product (350) with the riboflavin solution in an amount of about 1% to about 5% by weight of the oven-baked product (350).

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the product advancing surface (320) of the conveyor (310) is configured to move the oven-baked product (350) sprayed with riboflavin solution at a speed such that the oven-baked product (350) sprayed with riboflavin solution is subjected to the UV light source (370) at a power level of from about 4000 μW / cm 2 to about 5000μW / cm 2 The intensity of the irradiation is about 1 second to about 15 seconds or at a level of about 1000 μW / cm 2 About 4000 μW / cm 2 The oven-baked product (350) is irradiated at an intensity of about 15 seconds to about 45 seconds to reduce the concentration of acrylamide present in the oven-baked product (350).

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising a dryer (380) downstream of the at least one UV light source (370), the dryer (380) being configured to reduce the moisture content of the oven-baked product (350) sprayed with the riboflavin solution and irradiated with UV.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the light of the UV light source is selected to be at the wavelength that, when absorbed by the riboflavin, results in the formation of riboflavin free radicals.

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