The Maillard reaction was given its name in honour of Louis-Camille Maillard, who
first described it in 1912. It is the reaction between an amino compound, often an amino
acid, peptide, or protein, and a carbonyl compound, usually a reducing sugar, such as
glucose, fructose, or lactose. Since such compounds are present in virtually every cell,
the ramifications of the Maillard reaction are almost boundless and understanding it is
of fundamental importance to food science and to the functioning of living cells.
However, it has significance also in many other areas, such as soil science, aspects of
textiles, and pharmaceuticals.
Its importance is such that well attended international symposia have been devoted to it
on a regular four-yearly basis since 1979. Each of these symposia has led to a book of
collected papers and poster presentations. There have also been many more local symposia,
particularly in Japan, but, up to the present, there is no single-author volume,
summarising the Maillard reaction and inter-relating its many facets. This is what is
attempted here, with the intention of ensuring that the advantages of more disciplined
and uniform treatment outweigh the inevitable shortcomings.