The role of the Maillard reaction in the formation of flavour compounds in dairy products--not only a deleterious reaction but also a rich source of flavour compounds.

Angela E Newton, Antony J Fairbanks, Matt Golding, Paul Andrewes, Juliet A Gerrard

Biomolecular Interaction Centre, University of Canterbury, PB 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand.

Food & function 2012 Dec

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Dairy products are heated both during processing and by consumers during food preparation; consumers place a high level of importance on flavour when assessing product acceptability. Of particular importance to the flavour of heated dairy products is the highly complex network of Maillard reactions. Much focus has been placed on the undesirable flavours generated through the Maillard reaction and how to minimise the formation of these flavours. However, beneficial flavours can also be formed by the Maillard reaction; dairy products, such as ghee, are formed by heating and are characterised by the unique flavour generated by this chemistry. This review looks at the Maillard reaction as a source of beneficial flavours for cooked dairy products and the application of models to the study of flavour formation in food systems. Models are typically used to study complex reactions in a simplified way; however, they are not always applicable to food systems.

Citation

Angela E Newton, Antony J Fairbanks, Matt Golding, Paul Andrewes, Juliet A Gerrard. The role of the Maillard reaction in the formation of flavour compounds in dairy products--not only a deleterious reaction but also a rich source of flavour compounds. Food & function. 2012 Dec;3(12):1231-41