Reducing the acrylamide concentration in homemade bread processed with L-asparaginase

Acrylamide is the main contaminant for starchy foods cooked at temperatures above 120 ◦C. It represents a potential carcinogen, and consequently, its reduction is important for safeguarding global health. The L-asparaginase enzyme catalyses the hydrolytic cleavage of L-asparagine, a precursor of acrylamide, into L-aspartic acid and ammonia, thus reducing the formation of acrylamide. The objective of this work was to test the enzyme Lasparaginase at two concentrations (150 and 300 U/kg flour) under normal baking conditions to reduce acrylamide. The results showed that the use of 300 U/g of the enzyme led to a reduction of 78% in acrylamide, meeting the reference level reported by Reg. (EU) 2017/2158 (50 μg/kg) without influencing parameters such as colour that impact the final characteristics of the product.