This book provides an overview of mitigation strategies and positive health effects of Maillard Reaction products in the contexts of food processing and storage. The effects of Maillard Reactions can vary considerably: while on the one hand certain sensorial alterations and influences on color, flavor and odor may be desirable, Maillard Reactions can also result in potentially harmful and toxic products (e.g. furfurals, furosines, or acrylamide). This book discusses possible mitigation strategies for the reduction of toxic reaction products, including the addition of enzymes or antioxidants, reducing sugars, and encapsulation approaches, as well as new processing strategies, such as high-pressure, radio-frequency, ultrahigh-temperature, or Ohmic heating methods. The book also illustrates that certain Maillard products can even produce positive health effects, e.g. antimicrobial or anticarcinogenic effects. The methods described here can serve as a blueprint for promoting the formation of beneficial compounds and reducing / avoiding toxic substances, offering essential strategies and methods.

This Brief provides an overview of different analytical methods and techniques for the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of Maillard Reactions and their reaction products in foods during processing and storage. Reliable methodology for the investigation of Maillard Reactions and their products are of utmost importance in food analysis: since Maillard Reactions can on the one hand be desirable and advantageous, influencing the colors, flavors and odors of food products, they can on the other hand also produce detrimental compounds afflicting the consumers' health (e.g. furfurals, furosine, or acrylamide). This Brief introduces different analytical methods, which can be used to investigate and characterize Maillard Reactions and their products in foods, including for example capillary electrophoresis, high performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection, UV-VIS spectrophotometry, fluorescence, electronic nose, gravimetric systems, and many more. The chapters exemplify how the analytical techniques can be applied for assessing and evaluating different Maillard Reaction products in foods. Readers will find basic information, as well as practical hints and guidelines for application in their own laboratory.

This Brief explores the importance of lactic acid and fermentation in the modern food industry. Although it is usually associated with milk and dairy products, lactic acid can also be found in many other fermented food products, including confectionery products, jams, frozen desserts, and pickled vegetables. In this work, the authors explain how lactic acid is produced from lactose by Lactobacillus and Streptococcus cultures, and they also emphasise its important role as pH regulator and preservative, helping to the inhibition of microbial growth in fermented foods. The Brief discusses a wide range of lactic acid's applications as a natural additive, curing or gelling agent, flavour, food carrier, solvent, and discoloration inhibitor, among others. Readers will also find a brief overview of the current analytical methods for the quantitative and qualitative determination of lactic acid in foods.