Abstract:
Acrylamide is an organic compound formed in French fries, potato crisps, bread, and coffee
when fried, roasted, or baked at high temperatures. It is created through the reaction of
reducing sugars such as glucose and fructose with amino acids (asparagine). The
concentration of acrylamide in processed food products has become a serious health
concern. In this study, the concentration of acrylamide in traditional fast foods like Kokori,
Sambusa, and potato chips prepared on the streets near Jimma University in Jimma City was
investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy. Fast food samples were collected from seven
sites where consumption and preparation sizes were larger. The detected concentrations
ranged from 172.00 ± 8.49 mg/kg to 213.80 ± 7.35 mg/kg for Kokori, 112.80 ± 19.60 mg/kg
to 240.50 ± 4.38 mg/kg for Sambusa, and 23.8 ± 2.0 mg/kg to 203.4 ± 9.6 mg/kg for potato
chips. Among the fast foods studied, Kokori samples had the highest concentration of
acrylamide at 194.93 mg/kg, followed by Sambusa samples at 173.67 mg/kg, and the lowest
concentration of 114.67 mg/kg was found in potato chips samples. All three types of fast
foods contained acrylamide concentrations significantly exceeding the recommended WHO
limit, indicating a health risk to consumers.
