Acrylamide and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in thermally treated non-wheat flours and respective breads

This is the first report about the influence of dry and wet heat treatment on acrylamide content in flours and, subsequently, in breads. It was shown that during production of some breads acrylamide content decreases. Dry heating of non-wheat flour resulted in acrylamide in flours of sorghum (160 mu g/kg); millet (447 mu g/kg); barley (516 mu g/kg); triticale (868 mu g/kg); rye (1833 mu g/kg); oat (1951 mu g/kg). Hydrothermal heating had a negligible impact on acrylamide formation. In breads made from flour blends consisted of 70% of dry thermally and 30% of hydrothermally treated flours of millet, sorghum, oat, and rye, respectively, acrylamide was detected in the range from 105 to 312 mu g/kg. 5-hydroxymethylfurfural probably contributing to acrylamide formation in bread was detected in the range from 2.0 mg/kg to 44.3 mg/kg in dry heated flours; in hydrothermally treated flours was below LOQ (1.7 mg/kg); in breads was between 3.3 and 8.0 mg/kg.

Automated summary

The first report on the impact of dry and wet heat treatment on acrylamide content in flours and breads showed that dry heating increased acrylamide content in non-wheat flours, while hydrothermal heating had minimal effect. Breads made from a blend of dry and wet heat treated flours of millet, sorghum, oat, and rye had detectable levels of acrylamide. Acrylamide formation in breads may be linked to the presence of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in the flours.