Baking & Snack - March 2015 - 48

ENZYMES

into nature and collect soil samples, sometimes from very
exotic locations around the world, to find microorganisms
with the capability of producing the desired enzymes," Mr.

It's clear this class of bakery
additives brings a multitude
of benefits to the bench.

Developed for the highsugar, high-fat environment
of cakes, enzymes add to
shelf life and cut food waste.
Shutterstock

dough, principally flour," he explained. "This allows them
to react much faster than they would without the enzyme. The action changes the properties of those basic
ingredients so that, for example, the gluten can hold
more or less gas or the starch can hold more or less
water." This action can lead to better-handling dough,
larger loaf volume or softer crumb structure.
For this to occur, a specific enzyme must complex with
a specific substrate in a way often likened to a lock and key.
After the desired reaction occurs, the enzyme is released,
unchanged, along with the altered substrate. The enzyme
continues to function in this manner again and again until deactivated, or denatured. Enzymes shut down when
exposed to heat, as in the oven, or by a forced chemical
alteration, such as a change in pH.

Sourcing reaction catalysts
Commercial enzymes can be separated into three core categories, according to Barry Clayton, senior vice-president,
AB Mauri North America, St. Louis. "There are the classical enzymes found in nature and suitable for use in 'made
with organic' products," he said. "Then there are natureidentical enzymes, where modern genetic manufacturing
technology is used to deliver yield efficiencies and quality
optimization. Lastly, there are engineered enzymes, which
include full genetic modification technology."
Enzymes are found everywhere. "Our scientists go out

48 Baking & Snack March 2015 / www.bakingandsnack.com

Lund said. "Most people don't know this, but one gram of
soil contains more than 4,000 different microorganisms,
each of which can produce hundreds or thousands of different enzymes."
That's a far cry from early enzyme choices. Describing
malted grains and tropical fruit extracts as the original
bakery enzyme providers, Mr. Beavan observed, "One
problem with these sources is that they produce many enzymes, not all of which are desirable. The majority of enzymes used in bakeries today are produced by microbial
fermentation, which can be controlled to produce highly
specific individual enzymes."
The microbial fermentation process resembles beer
brewing; however, the products are not carbon dioxide,
ethanol and flavor but distinct proteins instead, according to Dr. Popper. During enzyme manufacture, the
spent microorganisms are removed by centrifugation
and microfiltration along with any leftover nutrients
required for their fermentation. These organisms produce a variety of enzymes to sustain their growth, enzymes now present in the clarified fermentation broth.
"However, the target enzyme usually prevails and will be
separated from the other proteins by ultrafiltration, absorption or precipitation," he added.
With some industrially produced enzymes, a small
number of amino acids are changed to improve enzyme
performance, for example, at different temperatures, according to Ms. Saral. "Or the enzymes can be engineered
to have enhanced pH stability or increased specificity of
the catalyzed reaction," she said.
During their manufacture, enzymes are standardized
for activity by diluting them with a low-moisture carrier
to give optimal stability. "For the baking industry, this is
usually wheat flour or calcium sulfate," Mr. van Eijk said.
"Pure enzymes are too concentrated to be dosed in a bakery, so they are usually used in an enzyme-based dough
conditioner that can more easily be dosed. The conditioner
will contain one or more enzyme preparations and, sometimes, other ingredients intended for a certain application."

Clean-label, fresh-keeping
"Modern-day enzymes have reduced or eliminated the
need for many chemical emulsifiers or other additives that

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