Mitigation or promotion: The role of phenols and plant extracts in acrylamide formation

The effects of different phenols (10 ⁻⁴–1 mmol) on acrylamide were evaluated in two Maillard reaction model systems (low-moisture and aqueous). High additions of most phenols decreased acrylamide, while tyrosol did not. Low additions rather increased acrylamide levels, particularly under low-moisture conditions. A pH-focused model revealed that some phenols lowered acrylamide levels in addition to pH and that the initial pH strongly influenced their impact: at pH 5, ellagic acid and ferulic acid lowered acrylamide levels in addition to pH, while at pH 8, the effect was diminished or even reversed for ferulic acid. Oxidation of phenols and their degradation products could account for these observations. Moreover, commercial plant extracts were evaluated for acrylamide mitigation. All extracts were also sources for acrylamide formation despite being a source of phenolic compounds. Nonetheless, green tea extract reduced acrylamide levels. Altogether, different factors have to be considered for acrylamide mitigation with phenolic ingredients.