Effects of starch damage and yeast fermentation on acrylamide formation in bread

The effects of starch damage and yeast fermentation on the formation of acrylamide in wheat bread were studied. Four wheat cultivars were milled separately by three laboratory mills to obtain wheat flours with damaged starch content ranging from 1.7 to 6.6%. Reducing sugar contents increased with increasing damaged starch content in flour. Yeast fermentation decreased greatly the content of asparagine by 40-60% in the dough, but increased substantially the content of reducing sugar. Compared with the unleavened bread, dough fermentation significantly decreased the content of acrylamide in leavened bread. The content of acrylamide in bread increased with increasing damaged starch content in wheat flours from the same cultivar. This study clearly showed that damaged starch content in wheat flour and dough fermentation are two major determinants of the formation of acrylamide in bread. The mitigation of acrylamide formation in bread can be achieved by reducing damaged starch in flour and by fermentation of the dough.