Use of enzymes in food production

Enzymes govern and allow the synthesis of foods of both vegetable and animal origin. They offer the advantage, that they are highly active at mild processes conditions and they catalyze reactions which are highly specific without creating a significant amount of by-products. Furthermore, they are versatile processing aids, e.g. to increase yield or to reduce viscosity. Hence, in the last few years, technical enzymes have taken over many of the roles of chemical reagents and catalysts in food processing. For analytical purposes such as quality control, enzymes are used as biosensors. The management of endogeneous enzymes will be benefical in the future for processes such as product drying, extrusion, and sterilization. This requires, that the specific enzyme properties, e.g. denaturating kinetics as well as the complex interactions between enzymes and the foodstuff have to be taken into consideration. Furthermore, the use of enzymes as antioxidants and preservatives in food processing w ill lead to new applications. In some cases, enzymes serve as detoxifying agents to improve food quality.