Biotechnological applications in Food Processing
- 1. Biotechnological applications in Food Processing By Abdul Rehman 16BTFT070
- 2. Learning objectives Concept of Biotechnology and Food Biotechnology Applications of Food Biotechnology Fermentation and Starter Culture Genetically modified foods and its potential risk Metabolic engineering Applications of biotechnology in diagnostics for FoodTesting
- 3. Biotechnology The study of tools from living things (bios= life, techno= tools and logos= study) It is any technological application that use biological systems, living organisms or parts of living organisms to make, modify, improve plants or animals for beneficial use. (British biotechnologists) Integrated use of biochemistry, microbiology and engineering sciences in order to achieve technological applications of microbes, cultured cells and parts thereof. (European federation of biotechnologist) Controlled use of biological agents such as microbes or cellular components (US National Science)
- 4. Food Biotechnology Application of technologies to make or modify animals, plants and microorganisms, which have desired production, marketing or nutrition related properties to obtain food. Applications: ✓Plant agriculture (Increased crop production, Cross breeding, herbicide/pesticide resistant plants, use of soil bacteria as an insecticide) ✓Animal agriculture (Reproduction, selection and breeding, animal health, feeding and nutrition)
- 6. Applications of Food Biotechnology (in contd). ✓Use of bacteria such as Sacchromyces cerevisiae to make bread, Lactobacillus to produce yoghurt etc. ✓Different strains of genetically engineered yeast through foreign gene encoding glucoamylase are used to make breweries at commercial level has enabled us to make light wine. ✓Food processing companies are using enzymes that are produced through genetically modified organisms and are used for making cheese, curd and flavoring food items.
- 7. Applications of Food Biotechnology in day-to-day life Emulsifiers Acacia gum is predominantly used as emulsifier are now synthesized from covalently coupled carbohydrates like starch, pectins, sugar and protein from wheat, milk and soya bean. Metabolic monitoring Versatile gastrointestinal models for detailed monitoring of digestibility, bioconversion and biodegradability of foods and drugs and contaminants from the point of safety and functionality. Also used for studying digestive effects of nutraceutical foods.
- 8. Applications of Food Biotechnology in day-to-day life (in contd). Calcium intake Oligo-fructose, a naturally occurring low digestible oligosaccharide increases Ca absorption by as much as 22 percent. These findings can be used to create new products in bakery, confectionery, dairy and beverages. Fermented food and enzymes Now-a-days, genetically pure strains of microbes are used which shows significant improvement in production as well as reduction in overall time required for fermentation process.
- 9. Application of Biotechnology in Food Processing In Food Fermentation Fermented foods are consumable products that are generated from thermally treated or untreated food raw materials of plant or animal origin. They have characteristic sensory and nutritional value as well as properties determining shelf life, hygiene or practical value that are decisively affected by microorganisms and/or enzymes
- 10. Advantages of Fermented foods They offer a high degree of hygienic safety. They have an increased shelf life compared to the raw product. Raw materials are refined by improving quality determining properties. Toxic or harmful substances derived from the raw material, such as cyanides, hemagglutinins, goitrogens, proteinase inhibitors, phytic acid, oxalic acid, gluco-sinolates and indigestible carbohydrates, are partly degraded. Manufacture requires only basic technology and low energy consumption. They meet a demand for natural and organic food.
- 11. Role ofStarter Cultures Starter cultures are preparations of live microorganisms or their resting forms, whose metabolic activity has desired effects in the fermentation substrate, the food. They have mainly technological function in the food manufacturing and are used as food ingredients at one or more stages in the food manufacturing process developing the desired metabolic activity during the fermentation or ripening process. They contribute to the one or multiple unique properties of a foodstuff especially in regard to taste, flavour, colour, texture, safety, preservation, nutritional value, wholesomeness and/or health benefits.
- 12. Role ofStarter Cultures (in contd). The use of ‘defined cultures’ allows for a greater degree of control over the fermentation process. Following are the distinction made between them: Single-strain cultures: contain one strain of a species Multi-strain cultures: contain more than one strain of a single species Multi-strain mixed cultures: contain different strains from different species. These different cultures are used in the fermentation of milk, meat, wine, fruit, vegetables and cereals.
- 13. Some Uses of Starter Culture in Food Production
- 14. Biotechnology: Improving Food Nutrition Proteins and essential amino acids: More than half of worldwide protein production is attained from plants but plant proteins lack some essential amino acids like lysine and sulphur containing amino acids. e.g., Corn is genetically modified and it expresses proteins produced by soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis Vitamins and minerals: Being deficient inVitamin A, rice is not a perfect staple food. e.g., The first provitamin rich transgenic rice was produced by incorporating crtI gene and psy gene from bacteria and daffodils Variety of provitamin rich rice can eliminate malnutrition and blindness from developing countries
- 15. Biotechnology: Improving Food Nutrition (in contd). Iron: Iron is one the most important minerals required for a healthy body. Rice is transformed with a foreign gene encoding iron containing gene named ferritin. Transformed rice contains double content of rice as compared to non-transformed rice. Carbohydrates and lipids: Carbohydrates, lipids can be modified in transgenic plants. Potatoes have been genetically modified by inserting a gene from bacteria that encode enzyme involved in starch biosynthesis pathway. These GM potatoes contain 30-60 % more starch
- 16. Biotechnology in Production of Food Ingredients Food ingredients are substances used to increase nutritional value, change consistency and enhance flavour. These substances are usually of plant or microbial origin – the common food and personal care ingredients xanthan gum and guar gum are produced by microbes. Many of the amino acid supplements, flavours, flavour enhancers and vitamins added to breakfast cereals are produced by microbial fermentation. Specialized high purification systems remove all microbes prior to final food production
- 17. Biotechnology in Production of Food Ingredients (in contd). Enzymes are used as processing aids to enhance the efficiency of food manufacture. For example, chymosin, used to make cheese, is an enzyme that occurs naturally in the stomachs of animals. Biotechnology had created a way for yeasts, molds and bacteria to produce chymosin, eliminating reliance on livestock for this enzyme. Flavouring agents, organic acids, food additives and amino acids are all metabolites of microorganisms during fermentation processes. Microbial fermentation processes are therefore commercially exploited for production of these food ingredients.
- 18. Ingredients Used in Food Production
- 19. Biotechnology in diagnostics for Food Testing Many of the classical food microbiological methods used in the past were culture-based, with micro or on agar plates and detected through biochemical identification. However, these methods are often tedious, labor-intensive and slow. Genetic based diagnostic and identification systems can greatly enhance the specificity, sensitivity and speed of microbial testing. The use of these technologies and other genetic tests allows the characterization and identification of organisms at the genus, species, sub-species and even strain levels, thereby making it possible to pinpoint sources of food contamination, to trace microorganisms throughout the food chain or to identify the causal agents of foodborne illnesses.
- 20. Biotechnology in diagnostics for Food Testing (in contd). Molecular typing methodologies are used to characterize and monitor the presence of spoilage flora (microbes causing food to become unfit for eating), normal flora and micro flora in foods,that commonly involves: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Ribotyping (a method to determine homologies and differences between bacteria at the species or sub-species (strain) level Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE, a method of separating large DNA molecules that can be used for typing microbial strains) Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) or amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) molecular marker systems can also be used for the comparison of genetic differences between species, subspecies and strains, depending on the reaction conditions used
- 21. Use of Biotechnology to Improve Yield Milk is of the food item used all over the world due to its nutritional value. Bovine Somatotropin is a hormone released by pituitary gland. It raises the milk production. Previously this hormone was extracted from brain of slaughtered calves. But that results in low quantity. Scientists inserted gene encoding bovine Somatotropin in Escherichia coli . Now this hormone is obtained in higher quantity. This hormone results in 10-12% rise in milk production
- 22. Biotechnology: Enhancing Taste Biotechnology has allowed scientists to produce fruits with better taste. GM foods with better taste include seedless watermelon, tomato, eggplant, pepper and cherries etc. Elimination of seed from these food articles resulted in more soluble sugar content enhancing sweetness. Fermentation pathways are modified using biotechnology to add aroma in products such as wine.
- 23. Advanced Approach: Metabolic Engineering Metabolic engineering, a new approach involving the targeted and purposeful manipulation of the metabolic pathways of an organism, is being widely researched to improve the quality and yields of these food ingredients. It typically involves alteration of cellular activities by the manipulation of the enzymatic, transport and regulatory functions of the cell using recombinant DNA and other genetic techniques. Understanding the metabolic pathways associated with these fermentation processes, and the ability to redirect metabolic pathways, can increase production of these metabolites and lead to production of novel metabolites and a diversified product base.
- 25. Advanced Approaches: GM Foods Genetically modified (GM) foods are those produced from organisms with modified genetic material (DNA) e.g. through the insertion of a gene from another organism. Most of the currently available GM foods are derived from plants, with possibility of GM food production from GM animals or microorganisms in the near future. • Advantages include: Pest resistance Herbicide tolerance Resistance towards extreme weather conditions Drought tolerance/salinity tolerance Nutrition Pharmaceuticals
- 26. GM enzymes used in food industry Catalase used in mayonnaise production and it removes hydrogen peroxide. Chymosin useful in cheese production as it coagulates milk. Glucose oxidase is used in baking as it stabilizes the dough. ɑ-amylase converts starch into maltose and used in baking for sweetness. Protease used for meat tenderization process, baking and dairy products Juice yields from apples can be improved by adding pectinase enzymes that are produced naturally by strain of mould Aspergillus.
- 27. Genetically Modified Foods: Examples Biotechnology Soybean Soybean is the oil crop of greatest economic relevance in the world. Its beans contain proportionally more essential amino acids than meat, thus making it one of the most important food crops today. Processed soybeans are important ingredients in many food products. Herbicide-tolerant soybean: Herbicide tolerant soybean varieties contain a gene that provides resistance to one of two broad spectrum herbicides. Insect resistant soybean: This biotech soybean exhibits resistance to lepidopteron pests through the production of Cry1Ac protein. Oleic acid soybean: This modified soybean contains high levels of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat.
- 28. Genetically Modified Foods: Examples (in contd). Biotechnology Maize Maize is one of the three most important grains of the world. It is used as livestock feeds, processed as cooking oil and food additives, and currently as feedstock for biofuels. Herbicide-tolerant maize: These maize varieties work in a similar manner to herbicide-tolerant soybean. Insect-resistant maize: This modified maize contains a built-in insecticidal protein from a naturally occurring soil microorganism (Bt) that gives maize plants season- long protection from corn borers.
- 29. Genetically Modified Foods: Examples (in contd). Biotechnology Rice Rice is life for more than half of humanity. It is the staple food for over 3 billion people, more than 90% of whom are Asians. Herbicide-tolerant rice: They contain a gene that provides resistance to one of two broad spectrums, environmentally benign herbicides. Insect-tolerant rice: It reduces yield losses caused by caterpillar pests, the most important of which are the yellow stem borer in tropical Asia and the striped stem borer in temperate areas.
- 30. Genetically Modified Foods: Examples (in contd). BiotechnologyTomato (Delayed-ripening tomato) The delayed-ripening tomato became the first genetically modified food crop to be produced in a developed country. These tomatoes spend more days on the vine than other tomatoes, thus resulting in better flavour. Furthermore, the longer shelf life has commercial advantages in harvesting and shipping that can reduce the costs of production.
- 31. Genetically Modified Foods: Examples (in contd). Biotechnology Potato (Virus-resistant potato) Several potato varieties have been modified to resist potato leaf roll virus (PLRV) and potato virus Y (PVY). In the same way that people get inoculations to prevent disease, these potato varieties are protected through biotechnology from certain viruses. Furthermore, virus resistance often results in reduced insecticide use, which is needed to control insect vectors that transmit viruses
- 32. Potential Risks ofGM Food Risks to health GM food contains foreign genes that can cause hypersensitivity and allergic reactions. One of the foreign protein is Cry9 that is encoded by gene present in soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis has been proved allergenic for animal feed. Risks to environment Another potential risk is horizontal gene transfer. Transgenic organisms when exposed to natural environment may transfer genes to other organisms resulting in spread transgene everywhere. Consequences of this spread can destroy ecosystem and other organisms.
- 33. References Fundamentals of Food Biotechnology, Wiley Blackwell, Byong H Lee Role of Biotechnology in Food Processing, ACTA SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE (ISSN: 2581-365X), Sikha Snehal and Abhinav Dubey Current status and options for biotechnologies in food processing and in food safety in developing countries, FAO International TechnicalConference, January 2010 The Role of Biotechnology in Food Production and Processing, Industrial Engineering, Balarabe Musa Maryam, Mohammed Sani Sambo Datsugwai, Idris Shehu