## 5 Possibilities of Reducing the Acrylamide Content in French Fries and Potato Chips
### Technological Factors
#### 5.2.2 Blanching of Potato Pieces
One of the new possibilities for reducing the AA content in the ready product in terms of modifying the blanching process is the use of a pulsed electric field (PEF) along with traditional blanching, preceding the frying process. The use of PEF reduced the content of the toxic compound in the potato chips by about 30% compared to the control sample blanched in water [110]. A study was also conducted using PEF in the production of French fries. It was found that this process had a significant effect on improving the shape of the cut strips (80% less damaged edges of potato pieces) and reducing the amount of fat in the ready product from 7.5% to 6.8% [111]. The amount of acrylamide formed in ready products also depends on the pH of the blanching solution, and the amount of the compound decreases with a lower pH of the solution [112; 113]. In acidic media, the acrylamide formation reaction is blocked as a result of the conversion of free amino groups (-NH\({}_{2}\)) to groups (-NH\({}_{3}\)), which inhibit the formation of Schiff's base and, as a result, a toxic compound in the ready product [52; 114]. The authors used various acids to lower the pH of the blanching solutions: citric, acetic, and sodium pyrophosphate solution [98; 113; 114; 115]. Dipping potato strips in 1% and 2% citric acid solution for 1 h reduced the amount of acrylamide in French fries by about 73% and about 80% respectively. However, a slight sour taste was detected with the 2% citric acid dipping, but no aftertaste was found in the French fries with the use of a 1% solution of this acid [114]. Blanching in a citric acid solution had a greater effect on reducing the amount of AA in French fries than in a sodium pyrophosphate solution, and its efficiency increased with the reduction of the frying temperature from 190 \({}^{\circ}\)C to 150 \({}^{\circ}\)C [98]. Dipping potato slices in an acetic acid solution at 20 \({}^{\circ}\)C for 60 min reduced the toxic compound content by about 90% in ready snacks [113]. Lowering the pH of the solution from 7 to 4 can reduce the acrylamide content by up to about 99%, given the lower frying temperature of the samples [114]. The advantage of choosing the right concentration of the acid used for blanching the samples is not only reducing the amount of AA in ready snacks, but also ensuring the proper color and taste of the product [114; 115]. The expected lowering of the pH of the blanching solution (to about 4) can be achieved through lactic fermentation, which can have the effect of both reducing the amount of reducing sugars and amino acids (i.e., alanine, arginine, phenylalanine, serine) in the potato strips and thus the amount of AA in the ready French fries [116]. On the other hand, blanching the solution after lactic acid fermentation with the addition of glycine resulted in a 70% reduction in the amount of AA in fried potatoes (compared to those immersed only in water) and did not deteriorate the organoleptic quality of the ready product [97]. The addition of other compounds was also tested, analyzing their influence on the acrylamide content. In the studies for the asparagine and glucose model system, vitamins C, B2, and B5 were used. It was found that the addition of 1% of vitamins C, B2, and B5 reduced the amount of the toxic compound by about 60%, 20%, and 30%, respectively [117]. An interesting direction that provides a wide range of possibilities is the use of various types of plant additives for blanching or dipping samples, most often in the form of plant extracts. Herbs and spice plants are readily available and interest in them is increasing due to their content of valuable phenolic compounds [118]. These compounds in plants can reduce the amount of acrylamide in ready products by partially blocking the formation of intermediate Maillard reaction products and thus reducing the amount of the toxic compound [119].