Assessment of Acrylamide Formation in Various Iraqi Bread Types and Mitigation of Acrylamide Production by Calcium Carbonate in White Flatbread

Abstract

Acrylamide is a neuro- and reproductive toxicant to humans and has carcinogenic effects in animal species which naturally forms in high-carbohydrate foods at high (≤121°C) temperatures. This study assessed acrylamide formation in various Iraqi bread types, including whole-wheat flatbread, white flatbread, stone-baked bread, whole-wheat baguette, and white baguette prepared in the selected local bread factories in Baghdad, Iraq, using HPLC assay. Among several types of bread, white flatbread is the most commonly consumed bread in Iraq; therefore, the impact of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), added to the flour at different concentrations: 240, 260, and 280 mg/100 g, in reducing acrylamide concentration only in white flatbread was assessed. Acrylamide was detected at various concentrations in each type of bread tested, with the highest concentration in whole-wheat flatbread (470.2 ± 6.7 μg/kg) followed by stone-baked bread (418.8 ± 6.4 μg/kg), whole-wheat baguette (408.3 ± 9.1 μg/kg), white flatbread (400.9 ± 7.4 μg/kg), and white baguette (362 ± 9.2 μg/kg), respectively. However, after supplementing CaCO3 in white flatbread, a significant p < 0.05 reduction in acrylamide (219 ± 8.5, 121.8 ± 1.7, and 115 ± 3.4 μg/kg, for the three calcium carbonate concentrations) as compared to the control (308.3 ± 2.9 μg/kg) was observed without impacting the rheological properties of bread. In conclusion, the acrylamide concentration can be reduced by supplementing CaCO3 in the white flatbread without compromising the rheological properties (i.e., dough strength, volume, and water absorption) and overall bread quality. The study results would help to mitigate the risk of toxic effects in humans.