Comparative evaluation of conventional and advanced frying methods on hydroxymethylfurfural and acrylamide formation in French fries

In this study, deep fat frying, microwave frying, air frying, and vacuum frying processes were used to mitigate acrylamide (AA) and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) formation during the frying of French fries. The highest reduction of AA and HMF range was found in vacuum frying (61.42–81.14%), followed by air frying (59.2–78.7%), as compared to deep fat frying and microwave frying. Both these method samples also showed significantly (p < 0.05) lower browning index (BI) and CIE a* values. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to visualize the effects of the different frying methods on AA and HMF content. Vacuum frying and air frying were found to be alternative frying technologies to minimize AA and HMF content in French fries.