Abstract
Nonenzymatic browning (NEB) reactions often affect the nutritional quality and safety properties of amorphous food solids. Developing a proper approach to control the NEB reaction has been of particular interest in the food industry. An NEB reaction in an amorphous maltose/Whey protein isolates (WPI) matrix containing L-lysine and D-xylose as reactants were studied at ambient temperatures a(w) ≤ 0.44 and 45~65 °C. The results indicated that the presence of NEB reactants barely disturbed the water sorption behavior of the matrix. The Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB) constants and Q(st) values of the studied samples were affected by storage conditions as the migration of sorbed water among monolayers occurred. The rate of color changes and 5-hydoxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) accumulation on the matrix were accelerated at high ambient temperatures a(w), reflecting the extent of NEB reaction increases. Since the strength concept (S) could give a measure of molecular mobility, the extent of the NEB reaction was governed by the molecular mobility of the matrix as the activation energy (E(a)) of 5-HMF production minimized at solids with high S values. We found that the S concept had a considerable potential usage in controlling the NEB reaction on amorphous sugar-protein solids. This data set has practical significance in the comprehensive understanding of manipulating the diffusion-limited chemical reactions on low-moisture food solids.