The formation of potentially harmful compounds in churros, a Spanish fried-dough pastry, as influenced by deep frying conditions

F J Morales; G Arribas-Lorenzo

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.12.042

The formation of potentially harmful compounds in churros, a Spanish fried-dough pastry, as influenced by deep frying conditions

Food Chem. 2008 Jul 15;109(2):421-5. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.12.042. Epub 2007 Dec 25.

Authors

F J Morales¹, G Arribas-Lorenzo²

Affiliations

¹ Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto del Frío, José Antonio Novais 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: fjmorales@if.csic.es.
² Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto del Frío, José Antonio Novais 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain.

PMID: 26003367
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.12.042

Abstract

Colour, moisture, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and acrylamide (AA) were investigated in traditional Spanish churros. Samples were deep-fried in sunflower oil at lab-scale temperatures of 180, 190 and 200°C and for frying times of 2, 3, 5 and 7min. Fresh made churros were also obtained from local producers. HMF ranged from 1.2±0.02 to 221.4±2.02mg/kg for lab-scale experiments and an average of 74.3±47.5mg/kg was recorded in commercial samples. AA ranged from below the limit of quantitation to 90±0.6μg/kg for lab-scale experiments and an average of 46±24.5μg/kg was measured in commercial samples. Temperatures between 185 and 200°C are commonly used to obtain churros with an acceptable palatability and a crispy surface. However, HMF and AA levels increased nearly two-fold from 190 to 200°C at the same frying times, indicating that a more precise control of frying temperatures is required to minimize their formation.

Keywords: Acrylamide; Churro; Colour; Fried dough; Hydroxymethylfurfural; Maillard reaction.