AbstractWe investigated the time-dependent acrylamide formation in mung bean sprouts during
stir-frying under high and medium heat conditions. The acrylamide concentration range
detected using the 3-mercaptobenzoic acid derivatization LC-MS/MS method was from below 29
ng/g [limit of detection (LOD)] to 6,900 ng/g. We also investigated the acrylamide levels
in mung bean sprouts cooked using four methods while retaining their fresh firm texture
using the thiosalicyclic acid derivatization LC-MS/MS method. The acrylamide concentration
in microwave oven-cooked sprouts was below 16 ng/g (LOD). The samples cooked by
stir-frying, parching, or boiling contained an acrylamide concentration above the LOD but
below 42 ng/g [limit of quantification (LOQ)], except for one replicate of a stir-fried
sample, whose acrylamide concentration was 42 ng/g. Bean sprouts are popular affordable
vegetables, and when stir-fried, their acrylamide concentration is assumed to strongly
affect the exposure of the Japanese population to acrylamide. Because the acrylamide
concentration range of fried bean sprouts is as broad as mentioned above, the selection of
a representative concentration value is difficult. A precise survey and data about
acrylamide formation in relation to the bean sprout components before heating, their
changes occurring during storage, and the cooking methods and conditions used are needed
to estimate the exposure of the Japanese to acrylamide. Here, we showed that rinsing the
sprouts before frying and frying them for a short time while mixing them well, while
retaining the fresh firm texture to avoid burning and shriveling the sprouts is effective
in decreasing the amount of acrylamide formed.