- Q: What form of non-enzymatic browning is a chemical reaction between the amino acids and reducing sugars which generally requires heat of between 280°F and 330°F?
A: Maillard reaction
The Maillard reaction enhances both the texture and the flavor of the seared food, and is the chemical reaction between the amino acids (which form proteins) and reducing sugars found in food.
- The amino group of the amino acid reacts with the carbonyl group of the sugar producing N-substituted glycosylamine and water.
- Glycosylamine is unstable Amadori rearrangement, forming ketosamines which then undergo several additional chemical changes.
Browning of meat in a Maillard reaction is actually many chemical reactions including the myglobin protein breakdown of its tetrapyrrole rings. Melanoidins are then created which give browned meat its distinctive flavor. Many additional chemical reactions then take place.
Maillard reactions also occur in non-thermal assisted reactions, e.g. champagne, dried fruit.
Reducing Sugar – Chemistry LibreTexts
Reducing Sugars- Definition, Characteristics, Examples, Uses
Reducing sugars, e.g. Maltose (2 Glucose), α-D-glucose, β-D-glucose, α-D-fructose, have hemiacetal and/or hemiketal groups that oxidize in basic aqueous solutions to form an open chain which creates an aldehyde group. In plant-based foods, Acrylamide is formed in the Maillard reaction.
Non-reducing Sugar: e.g. sucrose is stable in water
Health
Maillard Reaction Products (MRPs), aka advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) have much research with little conclusion on the specific sugars to avoid as they are usually mixed up and not isolated in foods. In general, sugar is not healthy, so moderation is key. Sugar is a metabolism buster.
Food Processing and Maillard Reaction Products: Effect on Human Health and Nutrition – PMC
Are certain types of sugars healthier than others? – Harvard Health
What’s with the name?
French physicist and chemist Louis Camille Maillard (1878–1936) discovered the chemical reaction and developed a reagent to react with and test for reducing sugars. Way to go, Louis!
The Maillard Reaction, like many things has pros and cons. A tasty puzzle to be sure.