9/27/2015

Enzymes How are enzymes used in the food

and drinks industry?

Surya Karthikeyan

Surya Karthikeyan

1

Introduction:

Enzymes are organic catalysts that increase the rate of reaction. Metals, usually, are inorganic catalysts

that also increase the rate of reaction. Enzymes, because that is what we will be talking about, have five

properties:

1. They are all proteins

2. Each enzyme catalyses one reaction

3. Can be used repeatedly

4. They are influenced by temperature

5. They are influenced by pH

As a property, each enzyme catalyses one reaction. There are three types of reactions that enzymes can

catalyse:

a) Breaking large molecules into smaller ones

b) Building up large molecules from smaller ones

c) Converting one small molecule into another

A factor that an enzyme can get affected by is temperature. Low temperature will give a slower reaction

rate. High temperature will give a denatured enzyme. The temperature at which the maximum rate of

reaction occurs is called the optimum temperature. Some examples are:

Fungal and plant enzymes (e.g. Pectinases) – 20 degrees Celsius

Human enzymes (e.g. Amylase) - 37 degrees Celsius

Some of the enzymes produced by bacteria for use in industry (e.g.) – 90 degrees Celsius

At optimum temperature, the rate of reaction is at maximum because the frequency of collisions is high.

Main:

In this essay, I am going to be talking about the production of yoghurt. Yoghurt is a food that is in the

dairy product group. The enzyme that yoghurt uses is called Lactase. Food production is an important

asset of biotechnology and is a branch of industry where microorganisms grow and reproduce very

quickly in suitable conditions. They don’t make any complex bodies and so most of the energy they use

is converted into material we can eat.

Production of Yoghurt:

The first step in yoghurt production is to pasteurise the milk to kill the disease causing bacteria. The milk

is thickened with skimmed milk powder. For the next step, production of yogurt needs a temperature of

about 40 degrees Celsius. 40 degrees Celsius is the optimum temperature for the growth of bacteria.

Once the milk is at the ideal temperature, the bacteria are added. These bacteria respire without oxygen

and use lactase as their source of energy. The bacteria cannot respire completely to form water and

carbon dioxide because there is no oxygen available. So, the end product will be lactic acid. Lactic acid

lowers the pH level of the milk and causes it to coagulate.

Production of yoghurt still has one more stage before being complete. Usually, this involves mixing the

yowghurt with fruit. Sometimes, the yoghurt gets treated to get rid of bacteria.

Surya Karthikeyan

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Conclusion:

Enzymes play an important role in the food and beverage industry. Lactase is used in the production of

yoghurt. The manufacturing of yoghurt is an example of batch culture. Fermentation usually takes place

in large, stainless steel tanks. When the yoghurt is removed, all the equipment are cleaned and sterilised

before being used again.

Surya Karthikeyan

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Sources:

Williams, Gareth, Richard Fosbery, and Janet Adams.’’Enzymes in Industry.’’ Biology for IGCSE.

Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes, 2009. 40-41. Print

Williams, Gareth, Richard Fosbery, and Janet Adams.’’Use of Microorganisms in Industry.’’ Biology for

IGCSE. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes, 2009. 40-41. Print

Williams, Gareth, Richard Fosbery, and Janet Adams.’’Structure and Action of Enzymes.’’ Biology for

IGCSE. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes, 2009. 40-41. Print

Norris, Roger, Roger Stanbridge, and Lawrie Ryan. ‘’Fermentation.’’ Chemistry for IGCSE. Cheltenham:

Nelson Thornes, 2009. 24445. Print

Six types of Enzymes. Perf. Sal Khan. Khan Academy, 2015. YouTube Video

‘’Enzymes.’’ Royal Society of Chemistry, n.d. Web. 30 Sept.2015

‘’Lactase (Enzyme).’’ Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 17 Nov. 2014. Web. 30 Sept.2015

Lactase Molecular Structure. Digital Image. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept.2015