Flavor Formation via the Maillard Reaction

The work to date has demonstrated that the formation of flavors is very system dependent. For some volatiles, more complex model systems may have quite different reaction kinetics than a simple model system. This suggests caution when one predicts the formation of flavors in real foods based on model system work. Other volatiles, e.g., 2-acetyl-l-pyrroline, appear to be relatively unaffected by the model system complexity and model predictions can be quite accurate. 

The most abundant flavor compounds formed via the Maillard reaction are aliphatic aldehydes, ketones, diketones, and lower fatty acids. However, heterocyclic compounds 

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One of the most important parameters influencing flavor formation via the Maillard reaction is processing temperature. This effect is obvious if one considers, for example, the sensory quality of roasted vs. stewed meats. Stewed meat lacks flavor notes characteristic of the roasted product. This is primarily because the stewed product has a water activity of approximately 1.0 and never exceeds a temperature of ca. lOO C. The roasted meat, however, dries on the surface so water activity is substantially less than 1.0. Also, since the surface dries, surface temperature may exceed lOO C. The lower water activity and higher surface tanperatures favor the production of flavor compounds giving the meat roasted notes from the same basic reactants rather than stewed notes. 

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