Maltodextrin (DE 15-25) produced from liquefied starch is commercially valuable for its rheological properties. Maltodextrins are used in the food industry as fillers, stabilizers, thickeners, pastes, and glues. When saccharified by further hydrolysis using amyloglucosidase or fungal α-amylase a variety of sweeteners can be produced, having dextrose equivalents in the ranges 40-45 (maltose), 50-55 (high […]
β-Amylases are exo-enzymes, which attack amylose chains resulting in efficient successive removal of maltose units from the non-reducing end. In the case of amylopectin, the cleavage stops two to three glucose units from the α-1,6-branching points. β-amylase is used for the production of maltose syrups and in breweries for adjunct processing. The most important commercial […]
During liquefaction, the α-1,4-linkages are hydrolyzed at random. This reduces the viscosity of the gelatinized starch and increases the dextrose equivalent (DE), a measure of the degree of the hydrolysis of the starch. The liquefaction is carried out in such a way as to give the required DE for the subsequent process. For saccharification to […]
As native starch is only slowly degradable by the use of α-amylases, gelatinization and liquefaction of a 30-40% dry matter suspension is needed to make the starch susceptible to enzymatic breakdown. The gelatinization temperature is different for different starches (Lii and Chang, 1991). Maize starch is the most widespread source followed by wheat, tapioca and […]
Enzymes can be used to create different products for the food industry. The process has three main steps: liquefaction, saccharification, and isomerization. This can produce various syrups and modified starches with different properties. These products are commonly used in a wide range of foods like soft drinks, confectionery, meat products, baked goods, ice cream, sauces, […]
Industrial enzymology is a branch of biotechnology that uses enzymes to upgrade and finish natural raw materials, and as an alternative to traditional chemical processes. Enzymes have been used since ancient times, such as in Greece for cheese production and fermentation processes for brewing, baking, and alcohol. Submerged fermentation techniques, which were developed in the […]
The discovery of glucose syrup was made during the Napoleonic wars when Europe was suffering from a naval blockade by the British. A lack of sugar from the West Indies inspired many a chemist to look for ways of synthesizing a sweet alternative. An overview Glucose syrups, often called glucose or corn syrups in the […]