Acrylamide-forming potential and agronomic properties of elite US potato germplasm from the National Fry Processing Trial

Authors: WANG, YI - University Of Idaho; Bethke, Paul; BUSSAN, ALVIN - University Of Wisconsin; Glynn, Martin; HOLM, DAVID - Colorado State University; NAVARRO, FELIX - University Of Wisconsin; Novy, Richard - Rich; PALTA, JIWAN - University Of Wisconsin; PAVEK, MARK - Washington State University; PORTER, GREGORY - University Of Maine; SATHUVALLI, VIDYASAGAR - Oregon State University; THOMPSON, ASUNTA - North Dakota State University; VOGLEWEDE, PAUL - Ais Consulting Llc; Whitworth, Jonathan; PARISH, DAVID - Ais Consulting Llc; ENDELMAN, JEFFREY - University Of Wisconsin

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/14/2015
Publication Date: 10/23/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/61909
Citation: Wang, Y., Bethke, P.C., Bussan, A.J., Glynn, M.T., Holm, D.G., Navarro, F.M., Novy, R.G., Palta, J.P., Pavek, M.J., Porter, G.A., Sathuvalli, V.R., Thompson, A.L., Voglewede, P.J., Whitworth, J.L., Parish, D.I., Endelman, J.B. 2015. Acrylamide-forming potential and agronomic properties of elite US potato germplasm from the National Fry Processing Trial. Crop Science. 56(1):30-39. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2015.03.0173.

Interpretive Summary: Potato products, such as chips and fries, contribute to the dietary intake of acrylamide, a suspected human carcinogen. One of the most promising approaches for reducing acrylamide consumption is to develop and commercialize new potato varieties that produce less acrylamide during cooking. To facilitate this effort, a National Fry Processing Trial (NFPT) was conducted from 2011-2013 in five states. More than 140 advanced breeding lines were evaluated for tuber traits from harvest through eight months of storage. Several dozen entries had significantly less acrylamide than the check varieties Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet, with reductions in excess of 50%. As in previous studies, the glucose content of raw tubers was highly predictive of acrylamide in finished fries. Despite its role in acrylamide formation, tuber free asparagine was not predictive of acrylamide content, potentially because it showed relatively little variation in the NFPT population. Even when glucose was included in the prediction model, genotype was highly significant for predicting acrylamide, indicating there may be as yet unidentified genetic components that can be targeted in breeding. The NFPT has demonstrated that many elite US breeding lines with low acrylamide-forming potential exist. This observation is important in that it demonstrates that substantial reductions in dietary acrylamide could be accomplished by using improved potato varieties. An ongoing challenge is to combine this trait with the complex quality attributes required by the food industry, so that food processors will have better quality potatoes to use, and consumers will be provided with high quality, low-acrylamide products.

Technical Abstract: Processed potato products, such as chips and fries, contribute to the dietary intake of acrylamide, a suspected human carcinogen. One of the most promising approaches for reducing acrylamide consumption is to develop and commercialize new potato varieties with low acrylamide-forming potential. To facilitate this effort, a National Fry Processing Trial (NFPT) was conducted from 2011-2013 in five states. More than 140 advanced breeding lines were evaluated for tuber agronomic traits and biochemical properties from harvest through eight months of storage. Several dozen entries had significantly less acrylamide than the check varieties Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet, with reductions in excess of 50%. As in previous studies, the glucose content of raw tubers was highly predictive of acrylamide in finished fries (R2 = 0.64 – 0.77). Despite its role in acrylamide formation, tuber free asparagine was not predictive of acrylamide, potentially because it showed relatively little variation in the NFPT population. Even when glucose was included in the model as a covariate, genotype was highly significant (p = 0.001) for predicting acrylamide, indicating there may be as yet unidentified genetic loci to target in breeding. The NFPT has demonstrated that many elite US clones with low acrylamide-forming potential exist, as a by-product of breeding for resistance to cold-induced sweetening. Our ongoing challenge is to combine this trait with the complex quality attributes required by the food industry.