Is L-Tryptophan harmed by heat?
After studying L-Tryptophan’s melting characteristics in the chemistry lab, we can say that it does not begin to decompose until about 460°F and does not melt until about 545°F. These are temperatures well in excess of those encountered in shipping. Even when baking a turkey, the exterior temperatures may get fairly high, and you can see this because the skin starts to turn brown (decompose), but the interior of the turkey may be much lower, perhaps only 170°F. So even during baking, L-Tryptophan typically will remain unharmed, which is why you can still get nourishment from cooked food.
