Acrylamide content of commercially available capsule coffees

Abstract

The consumption of capsule coffees is becoming more and more common in everyday life. Today, a number of studies support the fact that there are benefits of consuming the right amount of coffee. Despite its beneficial effects, there are also disadvantages to drinking coffee. For example, the acrylamide found in roasted coffee, which is formed during the process of roasting, poses a health risk. Acrylamide has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group 2A substance, i.e., as an agent which is probably carcinogenic to humans [1]. The technological parameters of the roasting process affect the amount of acrylamide formed in the product. Light roasted coffees contain higher levels of this compound than dark roasted coffees.
Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the acrylamide content of ground coffee products, however, capsule coffees have not yet received similar attention in this respect. In my study, the acrylamide content of various types of commercially available capsule coffees was investigated by HPLC-MS/MS measurements. Decaffeinated coffees are produced using a different technology, so some of these types were also tested.