The Browning Produced on Heating Fresh Pork II. The Natwre of the Reaction

Abstract

SUMMARY Studies are reported on the mechanism of browning occurring in model and meat systems. When model systems were heated, brownness appeared to be due largely to the amino‐sugar reaction, although some brown color development apparently occurred from caramelization of the sugars. This was shown by blocking the amino group with acylation or the carbonyl group of sugars by addition of bisulfite or hydroxylamine. The same procedures were used for studying the development of brownness in meat systems, except that in some instances the free sugars naturally present in meat were removed by yeast fermentation or by the addition of glucose oxidase. Although the data with the meat systems were not clear‐cut, evidence suggested that most of the browning occurred as a result of the amino‐sugar reaction. However, a small but significant amount of browning seemed to be due to pyrolysis of the natural meat sugars.