Maillard reaction products profile and intake from Spanish typical dishes

The Mediterranean diet is proposed as one of the healthiest dietary models, but its contribution to Maillard reaction products (MRP) intake is unknown. Several Spanish dishes typical of the Mediterranean diet (paella, Spanish omelette, salmorejo or churros) were selected to evaluate MR extension and the presence of MRP. CIELab colour, browning at different wavelengths, furosine, hydroxymethylfurfural, furfural and acrylamide were determined, and content/serving was calculated. Development of MR was affected by ingredients: when protein levels were high and carbohydrates low, early MRP were formed, regardless of the culinary process. There was found a correlation between acrylamide and hydroxymethylfurfural. The possible underestimation of deterministic calculations of acrylamide dietary exposure is discussed. This study presents a first approximation to enable the MRP intake from the Mediterranean diet to be calculated, taking into account the moisture content and the serving size of dishes.