Effect of air frying, oven baking, pan frying, and deep frying on flavor profile and acrylamide formation in reheated hash browns.

This study comprehensively investigated the effects of four domestic reheating methods (air frying, oven baking, pan frying, and deep frying) on flavor profiles and acrylamide formation in hash browns. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and electric nose/tongue/eye were employed to elucidate the mechanistic relationships between heat transfer media (air or oil), key volatile compounds, and acrylamide generation. The heat conduction medium affected the flavor characteristics, with air-based heating methods promoting sulfur compound formation and oil-based ones enhancing 2,4-decadienal production. Reheating duration, influenced by the heat conduction method, affected acrylamide formation. Specifically, reheating methods with low heat transfer efficiency resulted in increased acrylamide formation, with air- and oil-based methods resulting in an acrylamide content of 351.77-443.94 and 93.04-248.27 μg/kg, respectively. Overall, low-temperature-long-time pan frying (160 °C, 3 min) was the optimal method for reheating hash browns, as it offered the best balance between rich flavor and low acrylamide levels.