Many foods undergo browning due to nonenzymatic browning reactions that occur
during processing or storage. These reactions are the most complex reaction in food industry
and are composed of Maillard reaction and Caramelization.
The Maillard reaction has been named after the French chemist Louis Maillard who
first described it. The first coherent scheme of Maillard reaction was put forward by Hodge.
It can induce browning of foods, has an effect on nutritive value, has toxicological
implications (such as the formation of acrylamide), produce antioxidative components.
Moreover, it has also a large effect on flavour. The mechanisms of Maillard reaction are
generally divided into three stages including early, advanced and final stages.