Yeasts show acrylamide-preventing potential

October 4, 2011, Vancouver – Functional Technologies Corp.'s efficacy studies investigating its proprietary acrylamide-preventing (AP) yeast technology have shown significant reduction of asparagine in food products.

Asparagine is a key precursor to the formation of the neurologically and reproductively toxic chemical acrylamide.

The reduction was achieved well under the normal processing times associated with the application. Functional Technologies previously demonstrated that its technology has been effective in preventing the formation of acrylamide.

The initial studies involved mixing Functional Technologies' in-house AP yeast strains of various asparagine-reducing strengths with a commercial dry mixture employed in the production of different food products. Under normal commercial production conditions, the dry mix is subjected to a series of processing protocols, including a two-hour fermentation period, which naturally yield high levels of asparagine. Consequently, highly elevated levels of acrylamide are observed in the end-food product.

Under simulated commercial conditions, significant reduction of asparagine was consistently observed. One yeast variant demonstrated particularly strong results – asparagine was reduced by more than 45 per cent within the first 30 minutes of treatment, 95 per cent within 90 minutes, and to undetectable levels within 120 minutes. Control tests using ordinary baker's yeast strains showed no reduction of asparagine levels, at any time, within the 120-minute processing period.

Minor optimization of processing parameters, within predetermined acceptable levels, reduced asparagine by 70 per cent within 30 minutes of treatment, and to undetectable levels within 60 minutes.