The Maillard reaction is a key component of flavor formation in cooked beef products. This is very true for the classic grilled hamburger aroma, the aroma that is so easily recognizable even at a distance from the cooking source. The Maillard reaction aroma is dependent on precursors (amino acids, sugars, salts), environment (moisture level, pH, catalysts, temperature) and time of heating. In previous work, we identified 2-acetyl-2-thiazoline (2-AT) as a key aroma compound present in cooked beef hamburgers but almost completely absent in plant-based burgers. Because of that observation, we undertook a study to identify the mechanism for 2-AT formation in beef hamburgers. This presentation will provide a summary of what we learned and how we applied these learnings to potentially improve the flavor formation in plant-based burgers.

Improving plant-based hamburger flavor through studying flavor formation in grilled beef hamburger

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ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.