Influence of Cheese Type and Maturation Time on the Early Maillard Reaction in Cheese

Abstract

Formation and degradation of Amadori products (APs) originating from the early Maillard reaction during maturation of three different commercial cheeses, namely Cheddar, Emmentaler and Gouda, was investigated. APs were analysed as the corresponding N-(furoylmethyl) amino acids formed after acid hydrolysis. The contents of furosine, which is a hallmark for Amadori products resulting from derivatisation of lysine at the ε-amino group (ε-APs), ranged from 4 to 20 mg/100 g protein, corresponding to 33 to 159 μmol of lysine Amadori product per 100 g protein in the cheese samples at the start of the ripening period. Furosine contents declined during ripening in all investigated cheeses, in which cheese type and the stage of ripening influenced the rate of furosine decline. In contrast to this, all detectable N-terminal APs (α-AP) decreased at similar rates. The mean total content of these substances ranged from 12 to 48 μmol/100 g protein. The ratio between ε-APs and α-APs can be used as an indicator for the cheese ripening.

Keywords

• furosine
• α
• -n-(2-furoylmethyl)-amino acids
• cheese, amadori product
• maillard reaction
• proteolysis