December 2020 - 20

Fries from new potato varieties have less acrylamide
By Beth Staples
University of Maine
French fries made with the new
potato varieties AF4296‐3 and Easton
have much lower levels of a probable
carcinogen than those made with
Russet Burbanks, said Mary Ellen
Camire, a University of Maine professor
of food science and human nutrition.
Acrylamide is a probable carcinogen in
Gregory Porter, head of the University of Maine's potato breeding program, stands in front of trial fields in Presque Isle, Maine.
Photo: University of Maine
fried potatoes; during the frying process
the chemical forms from sugars and an
amino acid that are naturally in potatoes.
But for those envisioning the safer-toeat,
golden brown, crispy-on-the-outside,
soft-on-the-inside fries with a sprinkle of
sea salt and a splash of vinegar, hold that
thought.
The new spud varieties don't turn
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golden brown when they're fried. They
turn whitish.
Camire says they still have the crispy
texture, familiar flavor and smell of
freshly cooked french fries.
Forty-seven tater taste-testers testified
to that - rating the aroma, taste and
texture of fries made with AF4296‐3 and
Easton potato varieties similar to Russet
Burbank.
But they rated the whitish color of the
new varieties significantly lower.
Camire says an education or
promotion campaign is likely needed to
let the public know about the merits of
the less-than-golden fry.
" Acrylamide is found in many foods
that are baked, roasted or fried, but since
frying is the most popular method for
cooking potatoes, we wanted consumers
to have a safer alternative developed by
traditional breeding practices, " she said.
" It took years to convince consumers
to switch from whole milk to low-fat or
skim milk; hopefully changing consumer
acceptance of these fries will not take as
long. "
Camire conducted the pilot study with
colleagues Aaron Johnson, a former
University of Maine graduate student
and now a senior sensory scientist at
ConAgra Brands, and Gregory Porter,
who heads the university's potato
breeding and variety development
program.
Their goal was to reduce the potential
development of acrylamide in fried
potatoes.
During the study, the scientists also
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learned that the amount of fertilizer
applied to the potatoes had little effect on
people's fondness for the fries.
The Journal of Food Science published
the team's findings, " Low‐Acrylamide
French Fry Acceptance: A Pilot Study, " in
December 2019.
The study was conducted as part
of a USDA National Institute of Food
and Agriculture award of $7.8 million
to a consortium that included the
University of Wisconsin, the University
of Maine, and other universities, federal
laboratories and potato processors.
Camire said the team now wants
to examine how a national sample of
consumers accept these new potato
varieties. VGN
20 | VegetableGrowersNews.com

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December 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2020