Maillard reaction
Reacción de Maillard
- Date
- 1912 · confidence high
- Place
- Nancy, Grand Est, France
- Credited to
- Louis Camille Maillard
- Field
- Matter & energy
What was discovered
While trying to reproduce the biological synthesis of proteins, Maillard described the reaction between amino acids and sugars when heated, responsible for the browning and complex flavors of cooked food. Its detailed chemical mechanism was not established until 1953, through the work of John E. Hodge.
Maillard's exact working city in 1912 is not precisely confirmed by the source consulted; Nancy is assumed, where he was a professor.
What it led to
- Establishment of the chemical mechanism by Hodge (1953)
- Development of flavor science and the food industry
Built on
- Studies on the biological synthesis of proteins