How is the Maillard reaction described when it occurs slowly during long storage periods?

Undesirable browning and loss of essential amino acids

The Maillard reaction is a non-enzymatic chemical reaction between reducing sugars and amino acids. While this reaction is typically harnessed and desirable during high-heat cooking processes like roasting or baking to develop rich flavors and brown crusts, its slow continuation under mild heat over extended storage periods in foods like powdered milk or stored grains leads to negative consequences. These include undesirable progressive browning and, significantly, the degradation and loss of essential amino acids, thereby reducing the nutritional quality of the stored food. Fermentation is characteristic of yeast activity, mycotoxin production is linked to molds, and fuzzy growth is the visual sign of mold colonization, none of which describe the Maillard reaction.