Biotech penetrates deeper into the food market

Bringing food to life

20 May 2009 00:00  [Source: ICB]

Biotechnology is becoming a more valuable ingredient in food production
Cynthia Challener/Vermont

PESTICIDE AND drought-resistant crops, more nutritious crops, enzymes for increasing production efficiency and enhancing food stability, and probiotics for incorporation in dairy products are just a few examples of biotechnology's growing role in food production.

Not all of these developments involve genetic engineering, but even those that do are garnering greater acceptance around the world.

Consumers in the US, Argentina and Brazil have accepted genetically modified (GM) seed products for some time, while Europe, which was only 10 years ago very resistant to the idea of GM foods, is starting to explore their potential benefits, according to Christopher Shanahan, an analyst with global market research firm Frost & Sullivan.

Biotech crops are grown in 25 countries, according to the nonprofit International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications.

Countries with rapidly growing populations and the ability to produce their own food, such as China and India, have also been increasingly receptive to GM crops, according to Andy Benson, senior vice president of the International Food Information Council (IFIC), a trade association based in Washington, D.C., US. In food-importing nations such as Japan and Korea, consumers tend to have a more moderate attitude.

In a 2008 study of US consumers, the IFIC found that biotech foods were not a priority concern for most Americans. Two-thirds of those aware of the issue view the technology favorably because of the benefits provided. In particular, enhanced nutrition, improved taste, freshness, variety and lower cost were important. Even improved agricultural processes were appreciated, according to Benson.

"The increasing awareness about sustainability seems to be a driver of growing importance with respect to consumer interest in biotech foods," he comments.

Early genetically modified (GM) seed crops were designed to benefit farmers, who have dramatically improved yields using herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant corn, soy, rice and other crops. More recently, GM seed crops are being designed to improve their nutritional value - for example, reducing trans fats or, conversely, adding omega-3 fatty acids to soybeans, as US-based agricultural technology company Monsanto has done.

The road to market for such products is now smoother than ever.

For example, Monsanto's new drought-tolerant corn advanced from Phase 3 to Phase 4 - the last stage before commercialization - more quickly than any other product at the company, according to Steve Padgett, biotechnology lead for Monsanto. The technology is being developed as part of an research and development (R&D) and commercialization collaboration in plant biotechnology with BASF. Yield improvements of 6-10%, compared with non-transgenic plants, have been achieved in field-trial tests under drought-stress conditions.

HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH

Probiotics, or microbes that help to maintain the health of the body, are another biotechnology finding its way into food products.

Demand in the US and Europe totaled $168.5m (€123.6m) in 2008 and grew by 17.8% that year, according to Frost & Sullivan. The best known probiotic, Lactobacillus acidophilus, is found largely in yogurt and other dairy products and in dietary supplements. Many other strains have been developed as well.

New technologies, such as encapsulation, have improved the stability and extended the period of activity for probiotics, allowing their use in fruit juices, nutritional bars, breakfast cereals, ice cream, hard cheeses and other food.

"Dairy has always been recognized as the probiotic carrier of choice, not only because of storage conditions or average product shelf life, but more importantly because dairy products provide an adequate matrix for probiotics to survive," observes Peggy Steele, probiotic business director at Danisco, a Denmark-based food ingredients company. "These new options enable consumers to have more occasions to get their daily dose of probiotics in their favorite foods at home or on the go."

In November 2008, Danisco introduced HOWARU straw with Unistraw, an Australian product-development firm whose patented straw technology guarantees the survival of live probiotic bacteria, whatever the type of beverages. The system works by storing probiotics in the straw as dry, stable beads. When liquid is sipped through the straw, the beads dissolve and the probiotics are ingested.

Much of the R&D effort in probiotics focuses on building documentation to support structure/function health claims, according to Steele. For example, Danisco has conducted clinical studies to demonstrate that probiotics can reduce cold-associated symptoms in children with respiratory tract infections; that dietary supplementation with HOWARU Rhamnosus during pregnancy reduces eczema and allergies in high-risk infants; and that a symbiotic combination of probiotic culture and prebiotic lactitol (a non-digestible carbohydrate) improves bowel and immune function in seniors.

Other major probiotic producers include Denmark's Chr. Hansen, Cargill, of the US, Germany-based Evonik Industries, DSM, of the Netherlands and Italy's Parmalat.

CATALYZING SALES

The use of enzymes continues to boom, with applications extending from baking, brewing, cheese and wine making to oil seed processing, infant formula and dairy and juice production. Enzymes may be used to reduce manufacturing costs, to improve quality and health characteristics, and to enhance the sustainability of manufacturing processes. They are used throughout the value chain, from animal feed through ingredient processing and manufacture to the manufacture of the final food and beverage products, notes Anders Ostergard, a Marketing Director at Danish enzymes producer Novozymes. Growth rates of 8-10% are predicted to continue in the long term, modulated, however, by the recession.

The food industry has been increasingly turning to enzymes for process optimization and cost reduction. Enzymes often require simpler processes that can provide higher yields and throughput while reducing waste and energy consumption. "Throughout 2008, rising raw material costs became a real issue for the food industry. Many enzyme manufacturers responded by developing new products that enable significant improvements in the efficiency of raw material conversion," notes Aart Matebour, business unit director for food & beverage enzymes at Danisco.

General developments in enzyme technology include enzymatic interesterification for producing superior quality trans fat-free baking margarines; the use of enzymes to process vegetable proteins for inclusion in energy drinks and bars, clinical nutrition and infant nutrition products; and the use of enzymes to increase the freshness of bread and other baked goods.

Recent products from Danisco include Lysomax oil, an acyl transferase that provides better oil separation from seeds during the pressing process, and Laminex Super 3G, a proprietary blend of enzymes for improving the filtration step in the brewing process.

DSM has launched MaxiCurd, a range of granulated protein hydrolysates for higher-temperature cheese production, which provides improved yields. PreventAse, an acrylamide-reducing enzyme derived from Aspergillus niger, reduces acrylamide in baked goods. Maxilact-purified neutral-lactase preparations isolated from the dairy yeast Kluyveromyces lactis are designed for incorporation into more digestible dairy products. Tolerase is a food-grade acid lactase developed for use in dietary supplements. Rapidase Glucalees, a combination of beta-glucanases and pectinases, optimizes filtration and enhances aging, improving the clarification and mouthfeel of wine.

Acrylaway, produced by Novozymes, is another asparaginase enzyme for reducing formation of acrylamide in baked and fried starchy products. Pectinex Ultra Mash increases juice yields and makes depectinization and filtering easier, resulting in a clearer product. The "MilkyWay Alliance" between Chr. Hansen and Novozymes has developed LactoYIELD, a lactose oxidase product, which converts lactose from whey into lactobionic acid, leading to greater yields of pizza cheese from a given amount of milk.

"We have only covered the tip of the iceberg with regard to utilization of enzymatic technology in food production," says Matebour. "There are numerous opportunities to use enzymes to replace existing chemical-based processes in known application areas, plus there is endless potential for discovering uses that have yet to be discovered."

Other leading enzyme producers include AB Enzymes, of Germany, Japan's Amano Enzyme and US-based Cargill.

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