Furosine in cereal products – A review

This review aims to carry out an in-depth investigation of the scientific literature about the role of furosine. Furosine, an amino acid derived from the acid hydrolysis of Amadori compounds formed during the early stage of the Maillard reaction. Although furosine is considered to be a very useful indicator only for pre-baked cereal products, quite different results have been obtained in many studies. It is stated that the determination of furosine formation in pre-baked or fully baked products can be used as an indicator of reaction intensity and harmful component formation. Many researchers have stated that Maillard reactions can occur not only during the processing of foods, but also during their storage. Although reducing sugars were consumed by yeasts during fermentation, yeast fermentation did not reduce the concentration of furosine. During long-term storage of baby cereals, the furosine content increased significantly in products stored at temperatures higher than 25 °C. It is stated that almost equal molar glucose and fructose are formed at baking temperatures above 300 °C, regardless of the type of sugar added to the cereal product formulations. Therefore, the goal of food manufacturers should be to find the best balance between desired and undesirable effects when evaluating Maillard reaction effects.