Optimization, Validation, and Application of a Quantitative GC/NPD Method for Acrylamide Determination in Yemeni Fried Fish Samples

Abstract

The matrix's complexity makes measuring acrylamide in food items challenging, requiring a time-consuming extraction technique and high method sensitivity. A homemade solid phase extraction (SPE) device and a gas chromatography/nitrogen phosphorus detector (GC/NPD) were used to establish a simple and inexpensive acrylamide detection method in fried fish. Optimization and validation were used to measure acrylamide concentrations in twelve fried fish samples, four of which were home-fried and eight from Sana'a, Yemen, restaurants. The validated technique has high linearity R² (0.995) in the 0.02–4 ppm range of acrylamide standards and good sensitivity with LOD (0.0062 ppm), substantially below the authorized level. The twelve samples had acrylamide values of 0.0583–0.4643 ppm. Due to variations in thermal treatments during frying, market-fried fish samples had greater acrylamide concentrations than home-fried fish samples.  In the current study, the improved simple extraction process and GC/NPD protocol were useful for acrylamide measurement and may be employed as a prescreening tool for food sector acrylamide quantification.