Enzymes That Aid Beverages
September 1, 1996
Enzymes That Aid Beverages By: Lynn A. Kuntz Some in the food industry regard enzymes as nuisances -- substances that must be deactivated or destroyed to create an acceptable product. However, for others, particularly in the beverage industry, enzymes and the reactions they catalyze are indispensable. In beverages, as in other food products, enzymes may occur naturally or their presence may be due to intentional formulation. Enzymes perform many functions in beverages. They can help increase yields, form nutrients for the fermentation process, facilitate processing, and affect the color, flavor and clarity of the finished product. Explaining enzyme actionEnzymes are biological catalysts based mainly on protein. Because they act as catalysts, the molecules remain unchanged at the completion of the reaction. The exact mechanism by which they perform their function is unknown, although science has developed a number of theories. And although the enzymes can theoretically be recovered, in most food and beverage processes they are merely deactivated by heat upon the completion of the desired reaction because of the expense that would be incurred if the processor tried to recover them . Enzymes are typically named for the reactions they catalyze. They fall into six major categories , according to Maria Ware, technical services manager, enzymes, Quest International, Hoffmann Estates, IL: oxidoreductases, hydrolases, lysases, transferases, ligases and isomerases. Of these types, hydrolases play the most important role in the beverage industry. Each category contains several types of enzymes; esterases, glycosidases and peptidases are all hydrolases, for example. These may be known by a common name and by scientific nomenclature that describes the reaction they catalyze. Beta-1-4-glucan 4-glucanhydrolase is generally referred to as cellulase. Many industrial enzyme preparations contain a mixture of different types of enzymes. The combination of main and side activities gives a particular preparation its unique functionality. Enzyme isolation and purification increase the cost. "You have to be aware of the different types of enzymes," says Peter Moodie, director of sales and marketing, Enzyme Development Corporation, New York. "Some glucoamylases may contain low levels of protease. That might be a good thing if you were making distilled spirits, but in beer it might affect the foam stability." |