The Maillard Reaction: Interface Between Aging, Nutrition and Metabolism

In September 2009, a meeting was held in Palm Cove, Australia, which brought together the world experts in the Maillard or `browning' reaction. This reaction causes the browning of foods when they are heated and in chocolate, caramel and beer, this reaction is appetizing, contributing to aroma, taste and texture. But when these products accumulate in the body, this same process contributes to disease and ageing.

The book is the proceedings of that meeting, held in response to a growing recognition of the role reactive carbonyl compounds play in food technology, nutrition and tissue ageing in biology and medicine. Reactive carbonyls now touch every aspect of food science, biology and medicine. Efforts to counteract the damage caused by these products are gaining acceptance as a basis for novel therapeutic approaches, and the fields of food technology, ageing and preventive medicine are experiencing an upsurge of interest in strategies to minimize the unwanted effects of the Maillard reaction.

The meeting fostered a balanced approach to understanding both the advantageous and deleterious properties of carbonyl compounds and their end products in food science, technology and medicine.

The Maillard Reaction: Interface between Aging, Nutrition and Metabolism is aimed at both basic and applied researchers, scientists and industries worldwide with an interest in the Maillard reaction.