Free Asparagine Content in Eastern U.S. Soft Winter Wheat Varieties and Its Associations With Cracker Color and Acrylamide Formation

ABSTRACT Background and Objectives Reducing free asparagine (FA) would be an effective strategy for controlling acrylamide levels in baked products. Wheat grain and flour FA contents of eastern U.S. soft winter (ESW) wheat varieties grown over 2 crop years were determined and related to other grain and flour characteristics, as well as cracker color and acrylamide content. Findings Grain and flour FA contents of 88 varieties ranged from 260.4 to 830.0 mg/kg and 65.6 to 358.3 mg/kg, respectively, in the low rainfall year, compared to 147.9 to 388.8 mg/kg and 39.8 to 155.1 mg/kg in the high rainfall year. Flour FA content was positively correlated with kernel hardness. Increases in flour FA content were associated with darker cracker color and higher acrylamide content. Conclusions Crop year and genotype both influenced FA content of grain and flour; kernel hardness also affected flour FA content. Growing wheat varieties that carry low FA content and low kernel hardness traits, under relatively high‐rainfall conditions produces grain that leads to lower acrylamide levels and lighter‐colored crackers. Significance and Novelty Information on the variation in FA content among ESW wheat varieties and crop years provides guidance for procuring wheat grain with low FA content.