The Maillard reaction, named after its inventor, Louis-Camille Maillard, refers to reactions between amines and carbonyl compounds. It has been detected in heated, dried and stored foods and in mammalian organisms. It is responsible for changes in the colour and nutritive value of foodstuffs. This volume contains essays on our current understanding of the reaction, including updated reviews on its involvement in the scavenging of oxygen, the thermal generation of aromas, and the mechanistic aspects of free radicals.