Evaluation of the mitigating capacity of antioxidant extracts on the formation of acrylamide and HMF in starch matrices

Heating starch-rich foods to high temperatures (100–250 °C) promotes the formation of Maillard reaction products (MRPs), which can generate both positive sensory attributes and harmful compounds, including newly formed contaminants (NFCs) such as acrylamide (AA) and hydromethyl methacrylate (HMM), which are associated with health risks.

To mitigate the formation of these compounds harmful to human health, the use of natural antioxidants, especially polyphenols, from extracts of Chilean sources such as Durvillaea incurvata and Ugni molinae is proposed. The objective is to simultaneously reduce the formation of AA and HMF in starchy foods such as potato chips and crackers, while preserving sensory attributes and improving antioxidant capacity.

The project includes obtaining optimized extracts through ultrasound-assisted extraction (USAE) and evaluating their effectiveness in final products, seeking to develop sustainable and scalable strategies to improve food safety without compromising quality.