carbohydrates and lipids may play an important role. The reaction pathways are interrelated and strongly dependent on the size and composition of foods and processing conditions [1].
Among the reactions occurring in food during heating, the reaction between reducing carbohydrates and free amino groups of proteins or amino acids is the major source of neo-formed compounds. This reaction, so-called the Maillard reaction, causes the development of brown color in foods. The Maillard reaction gives unique color and flavor to food products. However, there are also certain undesired consequences of the Maillard reaction such as (1) the loss of nutrients like lysine, (2) generation of toxic compounds like acrylamide, and (3) formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that are responsible for the development of certain age-related diseases. The Maillard reaction has three stages in which typical products are formed (Figure 3). Some of them like N-ε-fructosyllysine (FL) and carboxymethyllysine (CML) have been used to evaluate the degree of protein glycation in heated foods that indicate the loss of nutritive value [7–9]. Some other Maillard reaction products such as acrylamide and furfurals indicate the safety risks created in foods during thermal processing due to the potential adverse effects of these compounds on human health [1,10–12].