Enzymes in Food Industry and Their Regulatory Oversight

Abstract

Enzymes are proteins that facilitate or accelerate biochemical reactions. While enzymes can be produced from animals, plants or microbes, most of the enzymes used in industry at commercial scale are produced from microbial fermentation due to the ease of multiplication of these microbes and their handling. The two fermentation technologies used in production of enzymes are solid substrate fermentation and submerged fermentation. In solid substrate fermentations, microorganisms are cultivated on a solid substrate whereas in submerged fermentation, they are cultivated in a liquid medium containing nutrients. Post fermentation, enzymes are recovered using downstream processing. Downstream processing constitutes of basic processes such as enzyme separation from cells, it's purification, concentration, and formulation. Enzymes have been used in food industry since pre-historic times. With the increased demand to find sustainable alternatives that enable higher efficiency and increased yields, there has been a rise in application of enzymes in industry. Enzymes are employed in various food processing sectors including baking, starch processing, brewing, dairy industry and many more. The safety assessment of enzymes is the key consideration while evaluating its application in industry. The global organizations that are in safety evaluation are IPCS and JECFA. JECFA uses the guideline “Environmental Health Criteria 240” in safety assessment of enzymes. Some of the specific safety concerns identified by JECFA are allergenicity, safety of enzymes derived from genetically modified microorganisms, toxicological considerations, dietary exposure. JECFA has also classified enzymes as type I and Type II depending on safety of their sources. Global regulatory framework with respect of usage of enzymes in food industry is very diverse and still evolving. The enzymes that are used as food additives are listed in Codex standard of food additives whereas the enzymes that are used as processing aids are governed by Codex guidelines on substances used as processing aids. India also follows a similar approach in regulating enzymes depending on their use, i.e. whether they are used an additive or as a processing aid.