I ran side-by-sides on russet fries in an air fryer at 200°C for 20 min: LC-MS flagged about 350 ppb acrylamide untreated, about 120 ppb after a 10 min asparaginase dip, but the enzyme batch lost roasted pyrazine punch and browned weaker. Is the asparagine drain the main culprit for the flatter flavor, and have you found a better safety–flavor balance with a brief blanch + 1% CaCl2 or a pre-soak to pull reducing sugars without muting 2‑AP?
I saw the same ‘pyrazine drop’ after a 10 min asparaginase dip, @OP — what helped was cutting the enzyme to about 4 min and adding 0.25% glycine in the post-rinse; LC-MS stayed about 130–150 ppb but color and roast popped back without pushing acrylamide up. Also swapped your 200°C/20 min for 16 min at 180°C plus a 2–3 min 220°C blast to finish crisp; , the long mid-temp bake dulls flavor. If you want a sanity check on the glycine trick: Acrylamide Toolbox - FoodDrinkEurope : FoodDrinkEurope.
That 10 min asparaginase is overkill, @OP; I got the pyrazines back by a tiny alkaline bump after the rinse — a 0.05–0.1% baking soda spritz — then kept 200°C but added a 2–3 min max-heat finish. Acrylamide held about 120–150 ppb since asparagine was already drained, but color and roast notes came back; push the bicarb any higher and it tastes soapy.
@OP I kept your “air fryer at 200°C for 20 min” but after the enzyme rinse I fan-dried the sticks hard for a few minutes and hit them with a super light oil mist; that brought the roasted pyrazine edge back for me without moving LC‑MS acrylamide much. If you want to avoid oil entirely, an extra-hot preheat helped a little, just not as much.