title: Microwave thawing and green tea extract efficiency for the formation of acrylamide throughout the production process of chicken burgers and chicken nuggets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Initially, we measured the acrylamide (AA) levels of chicken burgers (CBs) and chicken nuggets (CNs) purchased from fast food restaurants. After the determination of AA in these products, we aimed to investigate whether the use of green tea extract in the covering material, and microwave thawing before frying, mitigated the formation of AA in CBs and CNs during the production process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to our study, AA concentrations of CBs and CNs purchased from fast food restaurants were in the range of 13.43-118.97 and 32.92-134.90 ng g-1coating, respectively. In our experiment, AA levels varied between 19.61 and 40.08 ng g-1coating for CBs and 7.92-49.60 ng g-1coating for CNs. Green tea extract reduced the AA formation in CBs and CNs at the pan frying and steam oven cooking heat treatment steps (P < 0.05). However, microwave thawing did not affect AA level of CBs and CNs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When the AA levels of commercial CBs and CNs are compared with those produced in our experiment, the use of green tea extract could be a novel, easy and practical application for fast food producers to minimise AA levels in the first two steps of the production without changes to the sensory properties of the final products. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Ankara University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Food Engineering, 06110, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Eda Demirok
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Soncu
authors.affiliation: Ankara University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Food Engineering, 06110, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nuray
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kolsarici
mesh_terms: D020106:Acrylamide / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry; D028241:Camellia sinensis / Q000737:chemistry*; D002645:Chickens; D003296:Cooking; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000032:analysis; D005503:Food Additives / Q000737:chemistry*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008461:Meat Products / Q000032:analysis*; D008872:Microwaves / Q000009:adverse effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005503:Food Additives; D010936:Plant Extracts; D020106:Acrylamide
keywords: acrylamide; breaded chicken products; deep fat frying; microwave; natural antioxidants