11 - Microbial production of enzymes used in food applications

Abstract

Enzymes are a major tool in the production of modern food. In this chapter enzymes used in the food industry are discussed. Production of enzymes by microorganisms in an industrial setup is discussed in more detail. Here production of the milk clotting enzyme chymosin is used as an example, since chymosin production systems in yeast, fungi and bacteria have been described in some detail in the literature. Although enzyme properties and enzyme production levels are important for the industry, an important hurdle for application of enzymes in the food industry is the approval of these enzymes. This is discussed briefly in the last part of the chapter.