Application of Enzymes as Food Additives in Food Industries

Food additives are substances intentionally added to products to achieve desired functional properties. Many enzymes are commercially utilized as food additives in food processing to maintain or improve food products’ physicochemical and sensory properties. Enzymes also produce food ingredients through enzymatic reactions such as synthesis, hydrolysis and biocatalysis. The research efforts are ongoing to improve the properties of enzymes, such as catalytic efficiencies, thermostabilities and specificities. The utilization of enzymes in the food industry has surged with the advent of advanced technologies such as recombinant DNA and protein engineering. The production of enzymes using advanced techniques offers a technological advantage over enzymes produced through conventional techniques without altering the sensory attributes of food products. This chapter of the book covers the production of enzymes, applications of enzymes for food product development, preparation of food ingredients through enzymatic reaction, and antimicrobial properties of enzymes.