# Sorghum bran extract lowers two heat-generated contaminants in a cookie trial

> Taosu made with 2% extract had less acrylamide and 5-HMF, alongside darker colour and greater hardness. The study does not establish a longer commercial shelf life or consumer preference.

URL: https://foodradar.org/sorghum-bran-extract-taosu-cookie-acrylamide
Language: en
Author: FoodRadar Editorial
Published: 2026-10-07T10:51:50.355Z
Updated: 2026-10-07T10:51:50.355Z
Source publication date: 2026-07-09
Category: Ingredients
Türkçe: https://foodradar.org/tr/sorghum-bran-extract-taosu-cookie-acrylamide

## A milling by-product in a high-fat bakery model

A July study tests sorghum bran extract in Taosu, a traditional Chinese shortbread-style cookie. The ingredient changed several product characteristics together: it increased measured phenolics, shifted colour towards a darker reddish brown and reduced two compounds generated during heating. The strongest reductions occurred at the highest inclusion level, but that formulation also produced a harder cookie.

Researchers used a food-grade extract prepared from red sorghum bran with water and ethanol. It replaced an equivalent amount of low-gluten wheat flour at 0.5%, 1% or 2% of total dry powder weight, alongside an extract-free control. Other ingredients were held constant. Each formulation was prepared in three independent batches and baked at 170 °C for 17 minutes.

## Lower acrylamide, with a specific comparison

At 2% extract, acrylamide fell from 128.07 to 88.53 micrograms per kilogram, a 30.9% reduction relative to the control. The measured concentration of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, or 5-HMF, fell from 1,158.67 to 626.00 micrograms per kilogram, a 46.0% reduction. Both were analysed using LC–MS/MS. These results apply to this formulation and baking process, rather than proving the same effect in every bakery product.

The authors discuss several possible roles for phenolics, including interactions with reactive intermediates in browning chemistry. Their correlation analysis does not establish the exact causal pathway. The volatile results also show that the extract did not simply suppress all Maillard reactions: some aroma-related furans increased while acrylamide and 5-HMF decreased. A lower value for two compounds should therefore not be described as the elimination of all heat-generated contaminants.

## Colour and texture are part of the formulation decision

Increasing the extract level made the cookies darker and redder. Moisture decreased, and hardness rose significantly at 2% compared with the control, although fracturability did not differ significantly across formulations. The ingredient’s potential as a colour and phenolic source consequently comes with a product-design trade-off.

Electronic-tongue measurements were broadly similar across the formulations, while chromatography showed changes in the volatile profile. Those instrumental findings do not demonstrate that consumers would consider the flavour unchanged or prefer the fortified cookie. The authors identify sensory and consumer-acceptance work as a next step. The darker colour and harder texture need to be evaluated as part of that work, not treated as automatically acceptable.

## Fourteen days is a study window, not a shelf-life claim

For storage measurements, cookies were kept in open, unsealed bags at 25 ± 5 °C and around 80% relative humidity, then sampled on days 1, 7 and 14. Phenolic content and chemical antioxidant activity declined over time but remained higher in fortified samples than in the control. Some measurements in the 2% sample after 14 days still exceeded the fresh control.

That finding concerns retention of measured compounds and assay activity during the test. It does not establish a validated expiry date in commercial packaging, nor a health benefit from eating the cookies. For bakery developers, the study provides a defined formulation starting point and a set of linked effects to verify: contaminant reduction, pigment retention, texture, aroma and storage behaviour under the intended production and packaging conditions.

## Sources and rights

- [Effects of Anthocyanin-Rich Sorghum Bran Extract on the Quality, Antioxidant Stability, Processing Safety, and Flavor of Taosu-A Chinese Shortbread Cookie.](https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13409471?utm_source=foodradar.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=sorghum-bran-extract-taosu-cookie-acrylamide-en). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). Xiong S, Ye K, Liang M, Zhang P, Huang Y, Wu L, Zhang H, Xiong Y. Effects of Anthocyanin-Rich Sorghum Bran Extract on the Quality, Antioxidant Stability, Processing Safety, and Flavor of Taosu-A Chinese Shortbread Cookie. Foods (Basel, Switzerland). 2026. DOI: 10.3390/foods15142444. © 2026 by the authors. [CC-BY-4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/?utm_source=foodradar.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=sorghum-bran-extract-taosu-cookie-acrylamide-en-license).

Adapted by FoodRadar.

[Editorial standards](https://foodradar.org/editorial-policy)