Factors influencing acrylamide formation in rye, wheat and spelt breads

- Acrylamide (AA) mitigation strategy in white and dark wheat, spelt and rye breads was studied.
- An impact of flours origin on AA formation showed rank: wheat bread ≤ spelt bread < rye bread.
- No effect of flour extraction rates on AA formation was found.
- The bread formulation and process technology influenced AA formation.
- Lower baking temperature with longer baking time offer breads with low level of AA.

In this study, a simple strategy for acrylamide (AA) reduction in white and dark wheat and spelt and rye breads, including the impact of flour basic composition, flour extraction rate, type of technology and baking time and temperature was addressed. Moreover, the correlation between AA formation in breads and total phenolic compounds (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (AC) of flours and breads was calculated. The studies showed an impact of flours origin on AA formation in breads with the following rank: wheat bread ≤ spelt bread < rye bread. There was no statistically significant effect of flour extraction rates and their chemical components on AA formation in breads baked at 200 °C/35 min. However, a weak effect was noted for wheat and spelt breads baked at higher temperature. In contrast, a positive correlation between AA in wheat, spelt and rye breads baked at both applied conditions (200 °C for 35 min or 240 °C for 30 min) and AC of white and dark flours was noted. The same finding was noted between AA formation and TPC and AC of bread and its crust. The provided data indicated that AA mitigation strategy should be based on the selection of lower baking temperature with longer baking time as the main important factor amongst others.