Recent advancements in baking technologies to mitigate formation of toxic compounds: A comprehensive review

Conventional hot air baking is a widely used food processing technology, which involves simultaneous heat and mass transfer processes. Chances of acrylamide and hydroxymethylfurfural formation is high in baked products due to high-temperature treatment. Since acrylamide and hydroxymethylfurfural are harmful to human health, it becomes crucial to develop novel baking technologies to mitigate these harmful components without affecting the sensorial properties of the final baked product. The formation of hydroxymethylfurfural and acrylamide are closely related to baking temperature, baking time, and ingredients. Novel technologies and pretreatments are shown promising results to mitigate these harmful components in the end products. This review describes the suitable pretreatment methods, novel baking technologies, and effective post-baking techniques that help mitigate the development of harmful compounds without affecting the textural attributes of baked products. Novel baking technologies, such as vacuum baking, high voltage electrical discharge, supercritical carbon dioxide extrusion process, power ultrasound, infrared, microwave and halogen lamp baking; different pretreatment technologies – ozone treatment, plasma treatment, high-pressure processing, ohmic heating, ultraviolet irradiation and ligh emitting diode treatment are discussed together with a comprehensive insight to the understanding of mechanisms involved in the formation of harmful components during processing and post-baking.