The influence of yeast level and fermentation temperature on Ochratoxin A decrement during bread making

Ochratoxin A (OTA) occurrence in cereals is a permanent challenge in human health. In recent years, some studies have focused on the role of yeasts as adsorbing tools to eliminate OTA. The aim of the current research was to study the effects of different variables including Saccharomyces cerevisiae amount and the fermentation temperature on the reduction of OTA during bread baking. For this purpose, the OTA was spiked to the flour and then the bread was prepared. OTA levels in flour, dough, and bread were measured by the high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector (HPLC-FD). The results revealed that yeast level and fermentation temperature had a significant effect on OTA reduction. The increase of the amount of S. cerevisiae from 1% to 2% w/w and the fermentation temperature from 25ºC to 30ºC resulted in the increment of OTA reduction from 31.17% to 59.41%. During baking, OTA reduction was 19.21%. In general, the utilization of 2% w/w S. cerevisiae and the fermentation temperature of 35 ºC could reduce considerable amount of OTA in the wheat bread.