In wheat flour-based baked goods, the amount of free asparagine (fAsn) is a key factor in the formation of acrylamide (AA). In this context, the aim of a recent study by a group of Italian researchers (Covino et al., 2024) was to evaluate the use of four different varieties of common wheat (Stromboli, Montecarlo, Sothys, and Cosmic), selected for their different fAsn levels, for the production of pizza with a reduced AA content. Therefore, whole wheat and refined flours were obtained from these varieties.
The results show that fAsn levels range from 0.25 to 3.30 mmol kg−1, with higher values for whole-wheat flours, which also exhibit a higher amount of ash, fiber, and damaged starch compared to refined flours. Furthermore, a reduction in asparagines in the range of 47–68% was observed for all selected varieties, compared to a commercial flour, with significantly lower values recorded for the refined samples.
Doughs made with refined flour, after leavening, also exhibit reduced levels of fAsn and reducing sugars, due to the fermentation activity of the yeasts. Pizza made with whole-wheat flours, however, exhibits lower rapidly digestible starch (RDS) and rapidly available glucose (RAG) values than the other samples.
In conclusion, the study confirms that a reduced asparagine content in wheat flour is an effective strategy for mitigating the formation of asparagines in pizza.
Riferimenti bibliografici: C. Covino et al., Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 104, 2024, 4070-4082
