An intermediate moisture model food system was used to investigate the effects of water activity (Aw), temperature, pH and polyethyleneglycol (PEG) on the Maillard reaction. The initial molar ratio of glucose to lysine was varied from one half to four. The maximum Maillard reaction was obtained from an initial glucose/lysine molar ratio of approximately three. The rate of Maillard reaction showed a maximum in the range of water activity of a normal intermediate moisture food. ¢¥the model food system was prepared to hold water activity range of 0.47-0.84 and the samples were held at various temperatures. The maximum browning rate occurred at an Aw value of approximately 0.89 at 40¡É and 60¡É, 0.74 at 30¡É and 0.67 at 20¡É, respectively. The Arrhenius activiation energies for nonenzymatic browning pigment production were 18.03, 15.18 and 9.90 Kcal/mole for the sample with Aw 0.84, 0.74 and 0.67. When the pH of the model system was increased, a significant increase in the browning reaction was observed. On the inhibitive effects of PEG, the higher degree of polymerization, the more inhibition of browning reaction.
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