Food Enzymes:

Friend or Foe?
A Great Teaching Topic
Dr. S. Suzanne Nielsen, Purdue University,
Dept. Food Science, nielsens@purdue.edu
Enzymes in the Food Industry - -
Friend or Foe?
What are enzymes?
What controls the action of enzymes?
Why are enzymes important in the
food industry?
Examples of enzymes used in the
food industry.
What are enzymes?
Enzymes are highly specialized proteins
that catalyze specific biochemical
reactions

Proteins are chains of individual amino

acids +
NH3

R C COO -

H
Enzymes catalyze reactions
such as these:
Starch Glucose


-----

Sucrose Glucose + Fructose

Proteins Amino Acids

What controls the action of
enzymes?
Temperature
Water Content
pH
Chemicals
Alteration of Substrates
Alteration of Products
Why are enzymes important in
the food industry?
Added or used to cause particular reaction
Advantages
Natural, Nontoxic
Catalyze specific reactions
Active under mild conditions
Active at low concentrations
Can control rate of reaction
Can be inactivated
Why are enzymes important in
the food industry?
Naturally present may want to
inactivate them
Naturally present may want them to
act
Used as indicators of proper
processing

Used to measure another compound

in the food
Experiments with Food Enzymes
Enzymatic Browning of Fruits and
Vegetables

Coagulation of Milk by Rennet Addition

Enzymatic Browning of Fruits
and Vegetables
Apple (or potato, banana, etc.) slice is put
in each of the following solutions. The
browning is observed at 5, 10 , and 20
minutes.

Control (no solution; open to air)

Water Only
0.1% acetic acid
0.1% citric acid
0.1% ascorbic acid
Samples at 5 minutes
Control
Samples at 10 minutes
Control
Samples at 20 minutes
Control
Control
Water
0.1% Acetic Acid
0.1% Citric Acid
0.1% Ascorbic Acid
Why?
Ascorbic acid Acts as antioxidant; Oxygen
preferentially oxidized the ascorbate and not the
phenolic compounds
Citric acid Acts as a chelating agent;
Complexes copper ions that are necessary for
enzyme activity
Acetic acid a strong organic acid; Reduces the
pH below 3.0 and irreversibly inactivates the
enzyme
H2O Oxygen is necessary for the browning
reaction; Immersion in H2O restricts the available
oxygen
Experiments with Food Enzymes
Enzymatic Browning of Fruits and
Vegetables

Coagulation of Milk by Rennet Addition

Coagulation of Milk by Rennet
Addition
Pipette 10 ml of milk into each of 3 test
tubes.
To two of the tubes, add ~1.5 ml of a 1%
rennet solution.
Mix. (The 3rd tube will serve as a control.
It contains no rennet).
Place one of the two tubes with rennet into
water at ~37C
Observe the coagulation.
Coagulation of Sample
Control
Coagulation of Sample
1% Rennet Solution, No Heat
5 minutes 10 minutes 20 minutes
Coagulation of Sample
1% Rennet Solution, 37C
5 minutes 10 minutes 20 minutes
Why?
Rennet
An enzyme obtained from fourth stomach of
ruminant animals, and from some microorganisms
Cleaves particular bond in K-casein of milk to
initiate milk coagulation
Coagulates milk protein in cheese making
Aids in development of flavor and texture in
ripened cheese.

Mild heat speeds up the enzyme reaction.

Other Examples of Enzymes in Foods
Milk
Lactase
Alkaline phosphatase
Lipases
Plasmin

Fresh vs. canned pineapple

Bromelain breaks down gelatin in Jello
Meat tenderizer uses bromelain, ficin, or papain
Blanching of vegetables catalase and peroxidase
Cloudy vs. clear apple juice
Mandarin oranges
Onions enzyme alliinase acts on sulfur cmpds.
Enzymes in the Food Industry - -
Friend or Foe?
What are enzymes?
What controls the action of enzymes?
Why are enzymes important in the
food industry?
Examples of enzymes used in the
food industry.
 Food Enzymes:
Friend or Foe?
A Great Teaching Topic
Dr. S. Suzanne Nielsen, Purdue University,
Dept. Food Science, nielsens@purdue.edu
Questions?