Quality and chemical safety of wheat bread enriched with untreated, milled, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum fermented red lentils (Lens culinaris L.)

This study investigated the effects of untreated, milled, and fermented with <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> No. 122 red lentils (<i>Lens culinaris</i> L.) on the quality and safety parameters of wheat bread (WB). The quantity (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 %) and type of lentils added significantly influenced WB specific volume. Bread with 10 % of fermented non-milled (FNM) and 15 % of fermented milled (FM) lentils exhibited lower porosity (average, 52.4 %), while the highest total titratable acidity (1.12°N) was observed in bread enriched with 25 % of (FM) lentils. Enrichment with red lentils increased acrylamide levels in most breads to 14-44 μg/kg. A moderate correlation (-0.415-0.449) was found between acrylamide levels and certain VOCs of WB. Breads containing 10 and 15 % (FM) and (FNM) lentils showed overall acceptability scores (average, 4.1) similar to control bread. In conclusion, adding 5 % of non-fermented/fermented lentils to WB allowed for high acceptability without increasing acrylamide concentrations.