Maillard reaction harmful products in dairy products: Formation, occurrence, analysis, and mitigation strategies

[Display omitted] •Formation mechanisms of furosine, furfurals and AGEs in milk were explored.•Furosine, furfurals and AGEs in dairy products were quantified by HPLC and LC-MS/MS.•Some novel processing technology can reduce furosine, furfurals and AGEs in milk.•Polyphenols acts as effective inhibitors of furosine, furfurals and AGEs in milk. Various harmful Maillard reaction products such as lactulosyl-lysine (furosine), furfurals, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) could be formed during the thermal processing of dairy products, which could lead to various chronic diseases. In this review, the furosine, furfurals, and AGEs formation, occurrence, analysis methods, and toxicological and health aspects in various dairy products were summarized to better monitor and control the levels of harmful Maillard reaction products in processed dairy products. It was observed that all types of dairy products, including raw milk, contain harmful Maillard reaction products, with the highest in whey cheese and condensed milk. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is the common method for the determination of furosine and furfurals and AGEs in dairy products, respectively. However, the simple, rapid, environment-friendly, and accurate methods of determination are still to be developed. Incorporating resveratrol, pectin oligosaccharides (POS) in milk are effective methods to inhibit AGEs formation. This review provides a guide not only for consumers regarding the selection and consumption of dairy products, but also for monitoring and controlling the quality of dairy products.