Chapter 2: Sugars Check Access

Covering the essential chemical features of the sugars (monomers and oligomers), this chapter stresses aspects of their chemistry that are directly relevant to food and the occurrence and distribution of sugars in typical food products and raw materials, of both plant and animal origin. It includes the chemistry of monosaccharides and oligosaccharides, concentrating on the properties, behaviour and reactions relevant to food processing, product manufacture and human nutrition, as well as optical isomerism, ring structure, solution properties, etc., in relation to their behaviour in food systems. The mechanisms and contribution of sugar decomposition, caramelisation (non-enzymic browning reactions) and the Maillard reaction to food flavours and nutritional value are also discussed. Details of lactose intolerance, acrylamide formation in food products and d-allulose are also considered.