Impact of Raw Materials and Production Processes on Furan and Acrylamide Contents in Dark Chocolate.

This study was aimed to evaluate the level of furan and acrylamide contamination in cocoa and noncocoa raw materials, in masses from processing stages, and in chocolates originating from three factories. Acrylamide was determined by the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method using the QuEChERS procedure with dispersive solid-phase extraction clean-up and isotopic standard (2,3,3-d3-acrylamide). Furan was analyzed by the headspace solid-phase microextraction/GC-MS technique with the d4-furan marker. Both analytical methods were validated in terms of accuracy, precision, and linearity as well as the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ). Among all raw materials, the most abundant in acrylamide were cocoa masses and powders (83.0-127.5 ng g-1). Roasting of cocoa beans increased the content of acrylamide 2-3-fold. The obtained results indicate that acrylamide might be formed during wet conching. Only in cocoa powders and lecithin, it was possible to quantify furan (3.7-10.2 and 16.3 ng g-1, respectively). Roasting of cocoa beans increased the content of furan from <LOD to 25.1-34.8 ng g-1. Because of the high volatility of furan and specific manufacturing processes, favorable conditions were created for furan evaporation. Manufactured chocolates were products with a low level of acrylamide (61.8-108.0 ng g-1) and a very low level of furan (<1.5 ng g-1).