Work

Investigate the effect of carboxymethyl chitosan addition on the mitigating acrylamide formation in non-centrifugal cane sugar

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT The amino groups of chitosan compete with asparagine to react with the carbonyl group of reducing sugars in the Maillard reaction, thereby mitigating the formation of carcinogen acrylamide. However, chitosan must be dissolved in acid for food applications, this study aims to simplify the procedure by investigating the effects of incorporating 0.1% to 0.75% (w/w) water-soluble carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) into sugarcane juice during non-centrifugal cane sugar production. Specifically, the study evaluates their effect on water content, water activity, color, pH, antioxidant activity, reducing sugar, asparagine levels, and acrylamide mitigation. The results indicate that the moisture content of non-centrifugal cane sugar increases with higher concentrations of CMCS, while there is no significant difference in water activity. The pH of the non-centrifugal cane sugar extract decreased from 6.73 to 6.40 with the addition of 0% to 0.75% CMCS, respectively. CMCS competes with asparagine for reducing sugars, leading to a greater retention of asparagine in the non-centrifugal cane sugar. The addition of 0.25% CMCS can reduce acrylamide formation by up to 35% and retain asparagine in non-centrifugal cane sugar production without affecting its appearance or color.

Source: Applied Food Research

DOI: 10.1016/j.afres.2026.102681

Authors: Ming-Chih Fang, Pang-Hung Hsu, Li-Wen Siow, Wen-Chieh Sung

Institution: National Taiwan Ocean University

Language: English

Topic: Potato Plant Research

Subfield: Food Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,050