The effect of vegetable and spice addition on the acrylamide content and antioxidant activity of innovative cereal products

The aim of the work was to assess the impact of vegetable and spice addition on the acrylamide content and antioxidant activity of extruded cereal crisps. The foods were based on grain ingredients, such as brown rice, whole grain flour, wheat bran, with different vegetables. Products from one group contained green vegetables, such as broccoli and zucchini; garlic was included as a flavour additive (0.75–1.50%). The second group of crisps consisted of similar cereal ingredients with pumpkin and cinnamon; additionally ginger was included as a flavour additive (0.75–1.50%). The results indicate that the production of a new, innovative product with appropriate nutritional value and acceptable quality is a complex process. The production process significantly changed the nutritional value of the product. The content of acrylamide in zucchini and broccoli crisps was relatively low; ranging from 78 to 86 μg/kg of product. The addition of garlic did not significantly affect the acrylamide content in the final product. For cereal–pumpkin crisps, the acrylamide content was 7 times higher in comparison with zucchini and broccoli products. The acrylamide content in pumpkin and ginger crisps exceeded the benchmark level. The antioxidant activity of the pumpkin product was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than for crisps with green vegetables.