Formation rates of selected Maillard reaction products in model gluten-free bread, with consideration of erythritol: A preliminary study

This study investigates the formation of key Maillard reaction indicators—furosine, N-ε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), and N-ε-(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL)—during the baking of gluten-free bread with partial or full replacement of sucrose by erythritol. Substituting sucrose with erythritol (50 % and 100 %) significantly reduced browning index values by 23 % and 34 %, respectively, relative to the control sample after 30 minutes of baking. The regression coefficient for browning was the lowest in samples containing 100 % erythritol. Furosine levels decreased by up to 80 % in fully erythritol-formulated breads. CML and CEL can be detected in model gluten-free bread as early as the fifth minute of baking. At the end of baking, CML levels decreased by ∼15 % in the crust with erythritol substitution. In the crumb, levels increased by 19.7 % (50 % erythritol) and decreased by 9 % (100 % erythritol) compared to the control sample. Final CEL concentrations in the crust were reduced by 11 % (50 % erythritol) and 44 % (100 % erythritol), with a significant 43 % decrease in the crumb samples with 100 % erythritol compared to the control sample.