DESCRIPTION

Enzyme Preparations used in food processing are derived from animal, plant, or microbial sources (see Classification, below). They may consist of whole cells, parts of cells, or cell-free extracts of the source used, and they may contain one active component or, more commonly, a mixture of several, as well as food-grade diluents, preservatives, antioxidants, and other substances consistent with good manufacturing practices. The individual preparations usually are named according to the substance to which they are applied, such as Protease or Amylase. Traditional names such as Malt, Pepsin, and Rennet also are used, however. The color of the preparations—which may be liquid, semiliquid, or dry—may vary from virtually colorless to dark brown. The active components consist of the biologically active proteins, which are sometimes conjugated with metals, carbohydrates, and/or lipids. Known molecular weights of the active components range from approximately 12,000 to several hundred thousand. The activity of enzyme preparations is measured according to the reaction catalyzed by individual enzymes (see below) and is usually expressed in activity units per unit weight of the preparation. In commercial practice (but not for Food Chemicals Codex purposes), the activity of the product is sometimes also given as the quantity of the preparation to be added to a given quantity of food to achieve the desired effect. Additional information relating to the nomenclature and the sources from which the active components are derived is provided under Appendix V: Enzyme Assays.