Advances in Enzyme Technology for the Food Industry

• Canning technique uses enzyme to keep cooked vegetables crispy.
• Enzymes cut cholesterol content of foods.
• Maize enzymes digest insoluble plant products
• Enzymes find use as bromate substitutes.

On almost a daily basis, new developments such as these in the field of enzymology are emerging from research labs around the world. As you know, enzymes are used in foods and beverages to improve processing efficiency and the quality of finished products. But enzymes have a greater potential.

The report will give you a first-hand look at many commercially-viable enzymatic-based processes that have practical food applications. Many of these technologies are available for licensing from their developers; in other cases, scientists are seeking industrial support to help commercialize them in the near term.

Why all the interest in enzymes? New advances in enzymatic processing hold even more significant potential for the food industry. For example, biocatalysis, the use of enzymes to cause precise modifications of substances, has several advantages over alternative chemical processing.

Enzymes operate under mild reactions and afford high specificity, yielding purer products than those that are the result of chemical synthesis. Biocatalysis often affects natural flavors and colors less than nonenzymatic processes do. Of course, foods often contain naturally occurring enzymes that cause the foods to degrade. It may be possible to develop ingredients that inhibit this enzymatic activity and improve shelf life and other sensory qualities of a product.

Now you have an opportunity to learn more about several enzyme-based technologies under development at universities, companies and government research labs that will help you advance your company's own work in the field. This report reviews key processes and highlights significant data, including the potential applications for each process, its status of development, and when it will be commercially available. You'll also learn how to take advantage of these technologies, either through licensing or other collaborative arrangements, so that you can use them commercially before your competitors do.

Learn about several developments, including:

• A canning process that uses lower-than-normal cooking temperatures, a brief holding period and naturally-occurring plant tissue enzyme, pectin methylesterase, to reverse the softening effects of cooking. Look to apply this technique to many canned vegetables. Licenses are available.
• Aprocess that uses cholesterol reductase to cut the cholesterol content of products. The enzyme reacts with cholesterol and converts it to coprostanol, a sterol that passes through the body when consumed. Industrial support is sought.
• Three enzymes have been isolated from maize that digest insoluble plant products composed of complex xylans, feraxan or ferulated arabinoxylan. Applications include biomass degradation and modification of insoluble plant products to soluble substances. Available for licensing.
• Blends of enzymes are finding growing use as bromate substitutes in baking applications. Companies are starting to market these enzymes and are looking to work with others to tailor them to specific applications. Advances in Enzyme Technology for the Food Industry will enable you to track important developments in applied enzyme research. This report will help you establish key contacts with researchers and learn about projects that will help you and your company stay competitive. Return your completed order form today.