Application Note 20734
Analysis of Acrylamide in Potato Chips
by SPE and GC-MS
Anila I. Khan, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Runcorn, UK
Introduction
Acrylamide (2-propenamide) is a potential human
carcinogen. This toxic compound is usually formed as a
by-product of Maillard reactions during the heating of
carbohydrate-rich food. The World Health Organization
(WHO) has set a safe limit of 500 ng/mL acrylamide in
drinking water. Higher levels of 100–1000 ng/g are
determined in some foods such as potato chips or french
fries.
The extraction of acrylamide from potato chips is carried
out using a Thermo Scientific™ HyperSep™ Hypercarb™
SPE cartridge. Hypercarb SPE material is 100% porous
graphic carbon (PGC) and offers retention of highly polar
compounds that are not usually retained by traditional
reversed phase C18 columns. HyperSep Hypercarb SPE
can produce clean samples by removing potential matrix
interferences.
The analysis of acrylamide was carried out using a
GC-MS in electron ionization (EI) mode. Quantitative
measurement in food can be difficult as matrix-derived
ions can interfere with acrylamide fragment ions of
m/z
71, 55, and 41 when using this mode. Acrylamide
often requires derivatization to improve sensitivity on
a mass spectrometer. In this case, acrylamide is injected
without derivatization onto a Thermo Scientific™ DSQ™
II mass spectrometer and an ultra low bleed
Thermo Scientific™ TraceGOLD™ TG-WaxMS™
30 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 µm GC column.
Key Words
Hypercarb SPE, food, acrylamide, 2-propenamide, capillary GC, porous
graphic carbon (PGC), polyethylene glycol (PEG) GC column
Abstract
Acrylamide is an endogenous compound, formed when heating starchy or
sugary foods. The production of potato chips can result in its formation. The
method reported here detects acrylamide at the low ng/g levels at which it
is produced. Potato chips were extracted using porous graphitic carbon for
solid phase extraction (SPE). Analysis of acrylamide was performed using
GC-MS on a polyethylene glycol phase GC column. A standard addition
calibration curve was used to estimate the level of acrylamide in potato
chips at 450 ng/g.
Acrylamide is a highly polar water soluble compound
having a logP value of -0.65 [1]. Such highly polar
compounds are not readily amenable to GC, therefore a
polar GC column is required. The TraceGOLD
TG-WaxMS column is a polyethylene glycol-phase GC
column that allows the analysis of polar compounds.
