Usefulness of barley flour for retention of palatability and antioxidant capacity and inhibition of acrylamide formation in flour products cooked at high temperatures

Acrylamide (AAm) is a harmful substance generated during a Maillard reaction between asparagine and a reducing sugar, when food is cooked at high temperatures. However, this type of cooking increases the amounts of antioxidants and the fragrant aroma and coloration that make food tasty. In this study, with the aim to determine whether AAm formation could be reduced while palatability and antioxidant capacity were retained, doughnuts were made from milled grains with limited asparagine content. Frying doughnuts made from wheat flour for a longer period significantly increased antioxidant capacity and the amount of AAm generated. Frying doughnuts made from barley-blended flour with limited asparagine content for long periods significantly increased their antioxidant capacity and decreased the amount of AAm generated by 72%. The 28-person evaluation panel deemed them as good as the doughnuts made from wheat flour. Making doughnuts from barley-blended flour can increase their antioxidant capacity while retaining palatability and reducing the amount of harmful AAm in food.