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Novozymes Acrylaway - A low-acrylamide future beckons
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Friday, 20 May, 2011, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Since the discovery in 2002 that acrylamide is formed when starchy foods are baked or fried at high temperatures, this natural chemical substance has been raising a number of concerns and posing manufacturers with the challenge of how to effectively reduce its concentration in their products. The CIAA, the Confederation of Food and Drink Industries of the EU, launched an acrylamide reduction toolbox to offer the most efficient solutions to assist the affected industries. The toolbox is a combination of suggestions for changes in raw materials, processes and recipes, with importance placed on the fact that the brand-specific customer acceptance of the final products should not be
impacted. There is one option within the toolkit that is growing in appeal — the innovative use of the enzyme asparaginase.
Health and taste appeal
Acrylaway has been proven to substantially reduce acrylamide in a broad range of foods - biscuits, crisp bread, crackers, and potato-based snacks, and lab and pilot tests in French fry production also indicate feasible acrylamide
reduction. What is truly appealing about Acrylaway is that the reduction of acrylamide in these food types is achieved without altering the tempting flavour or visual aspect of potato-based snacks – a sizeable bonus for food manufacturers who are searching for acrylamide-reducing solutions and worry about the continued allure of their products for consumers.
Back to basics
The main mechanisms that cause the formation of acrylamide are commonly found in starchy foods – reducing sugars and the amino acid asparagine. During the baking or frying stage, a process called the Maillard reaction occurs –essential for important colour and flavour developments in baked, fried, and toasted foods. Through a cascade of reactions, the side chain of asparagine is converted into acrylamide. Acrylaway enzymatically removal of the amino acid
asparagine by converting it into aspartic acid, enabling the other ingredients to remain part of the Maillard reaction.
So the texture and delicious flavour remains while acrylamide is dramatically reduced. “Although there are other technologies to reduce acrylamide, asparaginases such as Acrylaway are the only solution that does not alter the
quality of the final product,” says Emmanuel Michelot, regional marketing manager for Novozymes Food and Nutrition.
The natural solution
Today’s consumers are conscious and cautious about what they eat. Health and food quality are major drivers for the market right now, and food safety is a key consumer concern. Partner with Novozymes and Acrylaway to ensure that
acrylamide levels are reduced in potato-based products without altering their taste and appearance – and in turn, produce healthy food that benefits consumers and society.
Making milk digestible
Almost all infants are born with the enzyme lactase, which provides them with the ability to digest lactose, the predominant carbohydrate in milk. However, the ability to digest lactose is reduced in early childhood for many people around the world. It is estimated that approximately 70% of the world population suffers to a degree from lactose intolerance. This means that society at large is calling for a solution that breaks down lactose and enables everyone to enjoy and benefit from these products.
A cost-efficient solution is to treat milk and milk-based products with a lactase enzyme. Lactases work through breaking down lactose to a mixture consisting primarily of glucose and galactose, which can be safely digested by virtually everyone. In addition to eliminating lactose, the resulting milk product has a naturally sweeter taste. In fact, lactase has been used traditionally in the manufacturing of ice-cream. As glucose and galactose are sweeter than
lactose, it enhances the taste, while also helping to ensure a smoother texture. This is because lactose usually crystallises at low temperatures, causing sandiness in ice-cream, but its constituent products, glucose and galactose,
remain dissolved.
Novozymes Lactozym Pure is an exceptionally pure lactase that offers a host of unique benefits. It comes in a variety of different product strengths, instantly offering process flexibility. It is robust and capable of working at the pH ranges found in most milk and milk-based products such as regular fresh milk, UHT milk, ice cream, lassies and dulce de leche. What truly makes this product stand out, is its purity. Not only does its high purity improve filterability, but most importantly, it reduces the likelihood of the milk product developing off-flavours. This is of particular use in the production of UHT milk, an ever-growing industry. UHT milk is popular throughout Europe, particularly in countries with centralised dairy operations consisting of a few large units. In these situations, the milk often needs to be transported over long distances, and UHT is favoured over pasteurised milk as it saves on the high costs, and eliminates the difficulties, associated with refrigerated transportation. Before opening, UHT milk has a typical shelf life of six to nine months. Lactozym Pure ensures that no off-flavours develop, which helps to maintain the pure and authentic flavour of UHT milk products during prolonged storage.
With the desire to consume milk and milk-based products growing throughout the world, it makes sense to implement an effective and natural solution that breaks down lactose and enables everyone to consume and benefit from these
products. Lactozym Pure is an effective and natural way to do exactly this – and its purity supports the development of superior, lactose-free milk products.
(He can be contacted at lkns@novozymes.com/ viin@novozymes.com)
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