New and future uses of enzymes in food processing

Enzymes are often thought of by the food processing industry as detrimental, to be destroyed by heat treatment. This is based on undesirable changes in texture, color, flavor, aroma and nutrition that may occur on harvest and storage. However, the uses of enzymes in brewing, cheese manufacture, meat tenderization, baking and protein hydrolysis are well known, having been used for many years. Of more recent utilization are enzymes for making glucose and fructose from starch, for separating racemic mixtures of D‐and L‐amino acids, for cleaning of processing equipment, for changes in functionality of high protein foods and increasing juice yield and clarity. In the last five years there has been renewed interest in developing additional uses of enzymes for food processing. In general, these methods require much more specificity and controlled conditions than previous methods. These methods include use of lipases for transesterification of triglycerides, production of specific monoglycerides and high molecular weight mono fatty acid esters and waxes, production of noncaloric sweeteners, production of controlled size peptides with enhanced functional properties including solubility, removal of unwanted toxic or antinutritional factors, for more precise control of heat processing of foods, for enhanced flavor development, as tools in production of transgenic plants, animals, and microorganisms and for food analysis. Examples of these and other new uses of enzymes in foods will be presented.