Study of acrylamide and 4-methylimidazole in coffee: from the analytical development to mitigation

• Grant number: 24/06562-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Adriana Pavesi Arisseto Bragotto
• Grantee: Adriana Pavesi Arisseto Bragotto
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: José de Oliveira Fernandes ; Juliana Azevedo Lima Pallone ; Liliana de Oliveira Rocha ; Sara Cristina da Silva Cunha
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/09415-6 - Acrylamide determination in coffee by LC-MS/MS, BP.TT

Abstract

Investigating the presence of acrylamide and 4-methylimidazole in coffee is of crucial scientific importance, deepening the understanding of the potential health risks associated with processing contaminants formed in this product of global consumption. Therefore, this project aims to carry out a comprehensive study on the presence of acrylamide (AA) and 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) in coffee, from the analytical development to mitigation. Initially, AA and 4-MEI will be determined in commercial coffees (powders and beverages) using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in tandem (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. Sample preparation methods and chromatographic conditions will be optimized, followed by validation regarding linearity, selectivity, limits of detection and quantification, recovery and precision. The data obtained will be combined with information on coffee consumption from the Household Budget Survey (POF 2017-2018) to estimate the exposure of the Brazilian population to the contaminants using a deterministic model. Risk characterization will be carried out for AA using the Margin of Exposure (MOE) approach and for 4-MEI by comparison with the established safety parameter. The formation of the contaminants will be investigated in coffees of the Coffea canephora species produced in different regions of Brazil. Additionally, emerging cold plasma technology will be explored to mitigate the occurrence of AA and 4-MEI in coffee. This study aims to provide valuable and unprecedented information on the occurrence of AA and 4-MEI in national coffees, the exposure of the Brazilian population and a strategy to reduce the presence of these contaminants, protecting the health of consumers. (AU)