Okay so i learnt something new today about a guy named Maillard and the major role he played in terms of understanding flavur in food. This is more chemistry of food than biochemistry but i thought it was very interesting and definitely worth mentioning. So i summarized an article on the reaction…i really enjoyed reading about it, so here goes…
Melted chocolate, grilled steak, baked bread and beer on tap have many things in common as they are prime examples of flavours, amazing textures, mouthwatering tastes and enticing smells of foods. All of which is owed to a series of chemical reactions triggered by the interaction of reducing sugars and proteins in food. Chemical reactions which can be considered the most practiced experiment as it occurs in just about every household; an experiment more commonly referred to as the Maillard reaction.
Maillard’s reaction was first published in 1912 and can be considered one of the more delectable aspects of chemistry history. His work was the cornerstone for a new branch of science; food science. Though a cornerstone, it was not fully recognized until World War II, where there was much interest in palatable food with a long shelf life. However it wasn’t until 1953, a chemist John E. Hodge was able to explain the complicated mechanism of a reaction of simple products.
According to Hodge, the Maillard reaction occurs in three stages.
- A carbonyl group of a sugar and an amino group on the protein to produce water and an unstable glycosylamine.
- The glycosylaminethen undergoes Amadori rearrangements to produce aminoketose compounds.
- Lastly, molecules of flavor, aroma and colour are created when the aminoketose compounds undergo further rearrangements, conversions, additions and polymerization.
Few of the thousands of compounds that compose the end products of the reaction contribute to the aroma and flavor. The majority consists of unwanted products which prove to be harmful.
The Maillard reaction has its bitter moments, as the same chemical reaction which produces popcorn and caramel is also responsible for the formation of acrylamide. Acrylamide is a toxic chemical that is considered carcinogenic and is found in highly processed or burnt meats. However, processed food is not the only source of distress from the Maillard reaction.
While food scientists have shown increased concern in the unwanted byproducts of the Maillard reaction in processed foods, medical researchers are more concerned with how it will stand to affect the human body, which contains enough of the necessary reactants for the reaction to occur. Medical research shows that the Millard reaction can occur spontaneously in human tissue and its products may be responsible for a variety of diseases including diabetes.
The Maillard reaction could be referred to as a paradox as it continues to be responsible for fantastic foods and harmful threats.
Article link:Chemical and Engineering News.2012. ‘The Millard Reaction turns 100’. October 1, 2012http://cen.acs.org/articles/90/i40/Maillard-Reaction-Turns-100.html(Accessed April 07, 2013)
BioChem&Me 