Application of Enzymes in Food Analysis

Due to the specificity and sensitivity of enzymes, they are valuable analytical devices for quantitating compounds that are enzyme substrates, activators, or inhibitors. This chapter reviews the principles of enzymology and then provides examples of how enzymatic analyses are used in food systems. In enzyme-catalyzed reactions, the enzyme and substrate are mixed under specific conditions (pH, temperature, ionic strength, substrate concentration, and enzyme concentrations). Changes in these conditions can affect the reaction rate of the enzyme and thereby the outcome of the assay. The enzymatic reaction is followed by measuring either the amount of product generated or the disappearance of the substrate. Applications for enzyme analyses will increase as a greater number of enzymes are purified and become commercially available. The measurement of enzyme activity is useful in assessing food quality and as an indication of the adequacy of heat processes such as pasteurization and blanching. Immobilized enzyme sensors will likely increase in importance for in-line process control in the food industry.