Use of enzymes in the food industry: a review

Abstract

Enzymes are biological catalysts that play a key role in the food industry, responsible for desirable and undesirable chemical reactions. These compounds can occur spontaneously in food products or even be incorporated on purpose. The main enzyme classes (oxidoreductase, transferase, hydrolase, lyase, isomerase, and ligase) and their subclasses can be obtained from several sources, presenting numerous applications in foods such as inhibition of microorganisms, insertion of aromas, improvement of physico-chemical properties, decreased candy crystallization, meat tenderization, antioxidants, indicators of heat treatment, and so on. Each enzyme acts effectively under specific conditions of pH, temperature, concentration, and water activity. Enzymatic immobilization techniques have been studied to minimize adverse conditions that enzymes are subjected to during food processing. Among the immobilization technique, the enzymes can be immobilized to the packages, being known as enzymatic active packages, the packages allow the enzymes to be migrated to the product or trapped, increasing the shelf life of the products, this technique being innovative both for the packaging market and for the enzyme market. Thus, the main enzymes and their applications in food were briefly discussed in this review article, as well as the main techniques of immobilization and insertion of these compounds in active packaging.