A GUIDE TO THE MAILLARD REACTION

The Maillard reaction occurs during cooking, and it is responsible for the non-enzymatic browning of foods when cooked. It actually consists of a number
of reactions, and can occur at room temperature, but is optimal between 140-165C. The Maillard reaction occurs in three stages, detailed here.

1 The carbonyl group on a sugar reacts with a protein or amino acids amino
group, producing an N-substituted glycosylamine.
Classes of Maillard Reaction Products

O
O O
O O
O
O O
OO

N R
C C C O
O C C C N
O
N

OO C C C +
N
O
OO C C C RR
The Maillard reaction produces hundreds of products; a small subset of these
OO
O
O O
O
O O
O
O contribute to flavour and aroma, some groups of which are described below.
Melanoidins are also formed, brown, polymeric substances which contribute
SUGAR (GLUCOSE) + AMINO GROUP GLYCOSYLAMINE to the colouration of many cooked foods.
(+ WATER)
O
NH R
2 The glycosylamine compound generated in the first step isomerises, by N
undergoing Amadori rearrangement, to give a ketosamine. N
N
N
O
O
O O
OO O
O
O O
OO
GLYCOSYLAMINE

PYRAZINES PYRROLES ALKYLPYRIDINES ACYLPYRIDINES

C C C N
N
N C C C N
N
N
O RRR O RRR cooked cereal-like bitter cracker-like
O
O C C C
OO C C C
roasted nutty burnt cereal
O
O
O O
O
O O
O
O O
O
O toasted astringent

1,2-ENAMINOL AMADORI COMPOUND

O O O
O S
3 The ketosamine can react in a number of ways to produce a range of
different products, which themselves can react further.
N
O
O O
O
O FURANONES FURANS OXAZOLES THIOPHENES
CONDITIONS

O C
CONDITIONS

O C
ALKALINE

C C C C
sweet meaty green meaty
ACIDIC

O C O
O C C C C C
C O
C C O C
caramel burnt nutty roasted
O
O
O
O
O
O
burnt caramel-like sweet
FISSION PRODUCTS REDUCTONES HYDROXYMETHYLFURFURAL

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