Enzyme is a kind of catalytically active protein. Its catalytic efficiency is higher than inorganic catalysts. Except the general characteristics of the chemical catalyst, enzyme has the following advantages: high catalytic efficiency; high specificity; mild work condition.
Enzyme engineering is a new technology that combines enzymology theory with chemical technology. It is able to eliminate the inherent shortcomings of many chemical processes in a variety of industries, and also a driving force for the development of traditional chemical industry.
In the past, the enzyme used in food processing was mostly derived from animal offal and plant extracts. Most of the enzymes used are now from microbial fermentation. In general, the purity of the enzyme used in food processing does not need to be particularly high, mostly partially purified enzyme. Unless in the special applications, such as proteolytic enzymes used in low-calorie beer, the higher the purity, the better the effect. Most enzymes applied in the food processing are glucoamylase and then followed by protease, lipase, esterase, oxidoreductase and isomerase.
Flour product
Enzyme, from organism and made with modern biotechnology, is a pure natural biological products and green food additives. It plays a significant role in a variety of special flour production and transformation. For instance, it can improve the baking quality, nutritional quality, texture, storage resistance and other functions of flour products. The major enzymes used for flour modification are listed in Table 1 below:
| Enzyme Name | Function |
| α-amylase | Make bread volume increased, loose texture; speed up the dough fermentation; improve the bread tissue structure, increase the softness of the internal organization; produce a good and stable bread color; improve the furnace into the swelling; anti-aging, improve bread elasticity and taste; extend the fresh storage period of bread. |
| Glucose oxidase | Improve the silty properties of the flour, prolong the stabilization time, reduce the softening degree, improve the tensile and gelatinization characteristics of the flour, increase the tensile resistance, enhance the elasticity, increase the mechanical impact resistance and the maximum viscosity, and reduce the damage value; improve the furnace into the swelling; increasing the bread size; improve the noodles bite taste; improve the surface condition of the noodles. |
| Protease | Weakening the gluten to soften the dough to improve the viscoelasticity, extensibility and fluidity of the dough, shortening the mixing time of the dough, improving the mechanical properties and baking quality, making the product easy to shape and improving the taste. |
| Lipase | Delaying the aging of starch; increasing the stability of dough fermentation, increasing the volume of bread and improving the bread quality and preservation ability; reducing the spots on the dough, increasing the bite force, making the noodles not sticking in the boiled water, not easy to break, bright; increase the tensile resistance and elongation of flour. |
Table 1: Enzymes for flour modified
In addition to enzymes in Table 1, other enzymes such as phytase, hemicellulase and glutamine aminotransferase are used in the flour industry to improve the quality of wheat flour and specialty flour. In the practical application, it should be based on the characteristics of different special flour and enzymes to ensure the rational use of enzymes and the proper amount of enzymes. Besides, the rational use of a variety of enzymes (complex enzyme), can not only reduce the total amount of enzyme, but achieve a synergistic effect.
Dairy processing
The main enzymes used in dairy processing are catalase and lactase. Catalase has high enzyme activity in bovine colostrum, mainly used for the removal of excess hydrogen peroxide in dairy products thereby to kill pathogens by using H2O2. Lactase can reduce the content of lactose to produce low lactose milk, low lactose hydrolyzed milk can improve the milk flavor, sweetness and nutritional value. In fermented milk, the use of lactase can accelerate the reaction and improve the fermentation efficiency to make fermented milk unique frankincense flavor and relatively extend shelf life of the product. Lactase used in condensed milk not only allows lactose to avoid lactose crystallization during concentration, but also make the product tasty, increase the sweetness, reduce the amount of sucrose, thereby inhibiting bacteria. The application of lactase in ice cream can not only increase the sweetness to reduce the amount of sucrose, but also solve the sediment due to the crystallization of deep frozen lactose, reduce the freezing point and improve the anti-thawing property. The use of lactase in milk powder can improve the flavor of milk powder, its rich caramel and caramel color after hydrolysis can produce chocolate milk.
Meat products processing
Enzyme used in the meat industry is mainly used to improve product quality (color, smell, taste, etc.) and increase the added value of by-products.
Beef products, treated with papain Ca ++ intensifier, have reddish brown color, crispy taste and good flavor, which completely overcomes traditional shortcomings including the tough taste, tenderness, gray color and low yield. The use of a certain amount of bromelain combined with phosphates, calcium chloride, etc. to tender mutton can improve the taste greatly. Lamb sausage produced with raw materials, which are treated with this method, has tender meat, good elasticity, unique flavor. It also makes up for the absence of lamb sausage in ham sausage. Transglutaminase can catalyze the formation of lysine covalent bonds between molecules of proteins or within molecules to form effective protein gels that impart specific hardness and elasticity to meat products.
In the deep processing of meat products, the use of protein complex enzymes can produce protein hydrolyzate. For instance, under the process conditions of pH value of 6.5-6.8, 55℃ and six-hour reaction, utilizing papain and bacillus subtilis neutral protease to hydrolyze snake meat, after proper purification, it can produce substances with rich nutrients and bioactive characteristics, and easy-to-degested nutrition solution. Bacillus subtilis neutral protease and pepsin hydrolize Maoshi pearl meat. Most of the protein in the hydrolyzate are converted to amino acids, which makes it delicious, lighter color and easy to be absorbed. These enzymes can be applied to the production of seafood seasonings, health drinks, etc.
Common by-products of meat processing are bone, bone crackers, mechanical flesh, fat and oil residue, which can be used as raw materials to obtain new meat extracts after enzymatic treatment. Meat extracts according to their characteristics and functions are divided into two categories: one is the flavor meat extract composed of small peptides and free amino acids; the other is a functional type of meat extract, generally composed of 10 amino acid molecules and with a moderate degree of hydrolysis. Flavor meat extracts have meat extract, bone soup or bone elements, etc. Such products with the natural aroma of raw materials can be made into paste or powder added to meat products, instant noodles seasoning package, sauce or snack foods, in order to enhance food flavor and protein content; what’s more, it can be precursor of flavors or meat flavor after further Maillard reaction. Functional meat extract can be treated in high temperature without protein denaturation. Due to the unique adhesive and water holding function, it can be used in sausage, ham and other products to improve the adhesive properties of the meat products, cutting, and reduce the loss of meat products during cooking.
Fruit and vegetable processing and beverage industry
Enzymes used in this area are mainly pectin, cellulase and amylase, and mostly are used alone or in combination. These enzymes are mainly used for peeling fruit, clarifying fruit juice, reducing the viscosity of fruit juice, increasing the rate of fruit juices, enhance stability, what’s more, they are also applied in making vegetable juice, extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, reducing nutrient loss and so on.
For example, under the condition of pH value of 4.0, 60℃ and four-hour reaction, adding cellulase (600U/100g), pectinase (1000U/100g), alpha-amylase (250U/100g) and papain (10000U/100g) to the clarification lychee juice process, and good clarity, low nutritional loss of high-quality lychee juice can be achieved.
Additionally, enzymes are also widely used in deep processing of tea. Tannase can improve the tea cold-soluble, prevent tea cloudy, and can improve the strength of the strength of tea. And now it is used in black tea, green tea and oolong tea. Cellulase and pectinase can break down the cell wall of tea, making the active ingredients of tea more easily to dissolve, improving the rate of instant tea products and, product clarity and the aroma of tea. Protease can improve tea extract rate and clarity, enhance the taste and improve the separation performance of tea.
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