The formation and partial degradation of acrylamide (AA), asparagine and low molecular weight sugars were evaluated during an industrial coffee roasting process, in which the temperature increased from 90° to about 215 °C. Arabica and Robusta varieties were roasted individually. AA content reached the maximum value at 10 min, corresponding to a temperature of 175-177 °C (1045 ± 28 and 795 ± 25 µg kg-1 for Arabica and Robusta, respectively). Successively, AA content decreased very quickly and at 14 min (203-205 °C) its concentration was lower than the benchmark level of 400 µg kg-1 for roast coffee set by the EU Commission Regulation (2017/2158). In the final product, AA content was close to 300 µg kg-1. Asparagine quickly decreased; contrary, the concentration of fructose and glucose increased reaching their maximum value at 12 min. Then, a quick degradation occurred; their increase could be mainly due to the hydrolysis of sucrose, which decreased in the same period.
Keywords: Acrylamide; Coffee; Industrial roasting; Low molecular weight sugars.
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