ABSTRACT
Introduction ........................................................................................................ 623
Materials and Methods ..................................................................................... 624
Model Systems ........................................................................................... 624
Determination of Water Content ............................................................. 625
Heat Treatment ........................................................................................... 625
Determination of Browning Degree........................................................ 625
Calorimetric Measurement....................................................................... 625
Results and Discussion ..................................................................................... 625
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................. 629
References ........................................................................................................... 629
Nonenzymatic browning (NEB) results from a series of reactions starting
with an amino-carbonyl condensation. It represents an important cause of
quality loss in foods, and has also been reported as a cause of damage of
pharmaceutical products (Kumar and Banker, 1994). Its mechanism and
kinetics have been extensively studied in real foods and in model systems.
These studies have shown that the rate of the NEB reaction is strongly
dependent on the material composition, temperature, water content, water
activity, and pH (Hodge, 1953; Labuza et al., 1970; Labuza and Baisier, 1992).
