APPLICATION OF ENZYMES IN

FOOD INDUSTRY

PART B
ESSENTIALS OF BIOCHEMISTRY
FST 1022
MISS NIDA IQBAL KHAN
 Outline:

 Introduction to Enzymes
 Purpose of using enzymes in food
 Sources of food enzymes
 Classification of enzymes
 Learning Outcomes:

 To learn about the significance of enzymes.

 To know about the different enzymes used in food industries
 Classification

 Different classes of enzymes were studied:

Need And Significance Of Enzymes In Food Industry

Sometimes desired characteristics of food can not be achieved with regular chemical
treatment .The results and benefits of using enzymes are-

 High quality products

 Low production cost

 Low wastage

 Minimum energy consumption

 Biodegradability
 In Baking Industry ,
 α amylases: produce dextrins which are further
broken down to sugars.
 Β amylase: improves yeast
fermentatioon , bread volume
 Protease: used to reduce gluten elasticity in
biscuits and wafer production.
 Hemicellulase : improve dough properties
and bread quality , decrease stickiness of
bread,
 Llipoxygenase :used to whitening the bread .
In dairy industry ,
 Milk is the chief ingredient in production of
dairy products such as yogurt, buttermilk,
cheese, buttercream,soured cream .They are
prepared throug fermentation process.
 Proteases, lipases and lactases are used to
develop flavour compounds .
 Rennin is used as a coagulant of milk to
produce cheese .
In brewing industry,

 Many enzymes are used to produce wine,beer,soy

sauce through fermentation process.
 Cellulase, hemicellulase, amylase,glucanase,
lipase, decarboxylase etc enzymes are used in
this industry .
 They are used for liquefaction, clarification and
to supplement malt enzymes .
 In meat industry ,
 Protease enzymes such as papain, bromelain
and ficin are used to tenderize meat.
 These enzymes softens muscle
 They are used in low amount to prevent
liquefaction of muscle.
 Transglutaminase is used to induce
gelation in meat products.
In Fruit Juice Industry

 Enzymes are widely used in

clarification of juices and wines.
 During the production of fruit juice enzymes
decreases the processinng capacity and
enhance flavor, color and texture of juices.
 Pectinase and amylase increase juice
production , juice volume and color
extraction.
 Coffee And Tea Industry

COFFEE INDUSTRY
 The skin and fibrous pulp are removed and then
enzymes are mixed with pulped beans .
 The enzymes are used to liquefaction of mucilage of
coffee cherry
 In this process microbial enzymes such as cellulase,
hemicellulase, pectinase are used .

TEA INDUSTRY
 Cellulase, glucanase, pectinase are used to break down the
cell wall of tea leaf .
 The enzymes provide excellent fermentation during
processing .
 They help to remove biopolymers from liquor and
enhance the appearance of made tea .
 ENZYMATIC
DEGRADATION

 Deterioration of foods resulting from the catalytic action of enzymes is easy to observe.
•Changes in sugars:
An example is the ripening process of the banana wherein it becomes sweeter, softer, less astringent
in taste, and more odorous. One of the reactions in this process is the hydrolysis (degradation) of the
starch (essentially tasteless and insoluble in the water of the banana) to simple water-soluble sugars.
•Change in texture:
Another example is the over ripe tomato. Here the softening is due largely to the hydrolysis of the
pectins to their simpler carbohydrate building blocks. Pectin is a water-soluble carbohydrate found in
ripe fruits and has strong gelling properties which are used in cooking.

•Changes in Proteins and Fats.

Proteins in such foods as cheese, meat, and fish may be hydrolyzed to simpler compounds by the
enzymes naturally present. Fats in some foods may also be hydrolyzed by naturally present enzymes.
Such chemical changes are often manifested as changes in taste, odor, texture, and so forth.
 ENZYMATIC
DEGRADATION

• Change is color:
One of the most common examples of such changes is the rapid darkening of freshly peeled
potatoes, apples, peaches, and pears. Here the oxidative enzymes of the freshly exposed tissues
use oxygen from the air to change many naturally occurring colorless compounds (phenols) to
colored compounds.

•Control by Heating:
Chemical reactions catalyzed by enzymes can be stopped by destroying or removing the enzymes.
The method is simply heating or cooking food. All enzymes are proteins, and proteins are easily
changed or denatured by heating. The temperature required to inactivate most enzymes are in the
range of 60°-80°C (140°-176°F), although some enzymes are destroyed below 60°C (140°F) and some
require heating to temperature above 80°C (176°F) before they lose their catalytic properties.
 
 ENZYMATIC
DEGRADATION

Control by Freezing:
Many foods are preserved by freezing. However, freezing does not destroy most enzymes, and many
frozen foods can deteriorate enzymatically, even though the rates of the reactions may be slowed.
Vegetables are the worst offenders. So, in order to preserve peas, green beans, corn, and so forth, by
freezing, it is first necessary to heat them briefly to almost 100°C (212°F) before they are frozen to
prevent deterioration in frozen storage.

Control Techniques for Fruit:

Generally, fruits do not require such heat treatment (blanching), which is fortunate, since many of
them are adversely altered in flavor when heated. However, enzymatic darkening often occurs in
frozen fruits such as sliced peaches. To counteract this, they are often packed with sugar syrups
containing ascorbic acid or similar oxidation inhibitors (antioxidants). Along with proper packaging,
this diminishes greatly the amount of atmospheric oxygen reaching the fruit, which is necessary for
the darkening reactions.
 
 SUMMARY

 Enzymes are important biocatalysts in food industry as they perform specific reactions essential
for food production and processing.
 Sometimes they have certain undesirable effect on food products like disoloration and off
flavor formation .
 In food industry ,enzymes have various applications in bakery products, cheese making,
starch processing, meat tenderizing, production of fruit juice and other drinks etc .
 They are needed to improve the quality of food products.
 They lower the production cost and saves energy because they are reusable .
 They are biodegradable , so they cause less environmental pollution .
 References
Fatih Yaldiz, Advances in Food Biochemistry, CRC Press, 2009
Benjamin K. Simpson, Y.H Hui, Food biochemistry and processing,
2nd edition, Wiley-Blackwell; 2012