Standards and Regulations

The development of modern food technology is closely linked to kosher food. Many ingredients and processes commonly used in processed foods today did not exist 50 years ago, so the kosher considerations associated with these processes must be addressed. The use of industrial enzymes is a prime example. Enzymology and related biological sciences are among the fastest-growing and most dynamic fields in food production. Therefore, kosher food producers must understand the role of enzymes and how to use them in accordance with kosher law.

What are enzymes?

Enzymes are proteins produced by living organisms that have catalytic properties. All living organisms—animals, plants, and microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi, yeast, and molds)—produce enzymes to facilitate chemical reactions necessary for their survival. The ancient Greeks discovered that yeast's properties enabled the chemical transformation of flour and water into bread. The word "zymase" comes from the Greek word for yeast, referring to the enzyme complex produced by the yeast fungus. The word "enzyme" means "in the yeast," and we still use this term to refer to this type of biological catalyst.

Food technologists have discovered that if we can isolate the enzymes produced by specific organisms, we can use them in the food industry as catalysts for corresponding chemical reactions. For example, a grain seed like barley typically consists of an endosperm (primarily starch) and a germ, both surrounded by a bran. The seed is designed so that it can be planted and cultivated into a new barley plant (see Genesis 1:11). The seed's life lies in the germ, which remains dormant until the seed is planted in water. At this point, it begins to germinate and grow. The germ requires nutrients to grow, and in its early stages, this nutrient is provided by the starch in the endosperm. However, due to its biological characteristics, the germ cannot directly absorb these nutrients; it cannot digest the long glucose chains in starch molecules. The germ, aware of this, secretes amylase to break down the long chains into smaller units of glucose and maltose for its own digestion.

Many years ago, people discovered that soaking barley in water to germinate it produced a sweet syrup, even though dry barley seeds are not sweet at all! This process is called malting, and malted barley produces maltose syrup. People also noticed that malted barley could be used as a fermentation aid for other grains because it breaks down starch into more easily fermentable sugars. We now know that it is the enzymes in malted barley that break down the grain (starch) into glucose or maltose. This is just one basic example of how enzyme activity can be used in the food industry.

How enzymes are used

Enzymes are classified by their substrate. Modern terminology uses the suffix "-ase" to indicate their classification. For example, the Greek word for starch is amylon, so the enzyme that breaks down starch is called "amylase." Enzymes that break down proteins are called "proteases," and enzymes that break down fats are called "lipases," and so on. An older system of naming enzymes used the suffix "-in," such as papain, rennin, pepsin, and bromelain. We've noticed that almost all enzymes break down their substrates during food preparation, breaking them down into smaller components. Starch is broken down into dextrins and sugars; sucrose is broken down into glucose and fructose; and casein is broken down into cheese. A special case is glucose isomerase, which reconstitutes glucose molecules into fructose molecules.

Listed below are some commonly used enzymes and their applications in food manufacturing:

Liquefaction amylase: breaks down starch into dextrins. Used in corn sugar (glucose) syrup production, alcohol brewing, and baked goods.

Glucoamylase: breaks down dextrin into glucose

Glucose isomerase: converts glucose into fructose

Rennet: A basic enzyme found in the lining of a cow's stomach. It breaks down the structure of casein molecules, allowing them to break down and make cheese.

Lipase: Used to break down some of the fat in the oil to enhance the creamy flavor.

Protease: Breaks down proteins. Used to remove protein haze from cold beer, tenderize meat, and age cheese (enzyme-modified cheese). It is also used as a dough conditioner.

Pectinase: used in juice manufacturing to break down pectin.

Cellulase: Also used in the juice manufacturing industry as a processing aid to break down cellulose.

Catalase: Used to break down hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide), which is added to dairy products as a pasteurization aid and then removed by catalase.

Glucose oxidase: Used to break down sugars in protein powder, etc. If sugars remain in the protein, they will caramelize during heating, turning the product brown.

Sucrase: breaks down sucrose molecules into glucose and fructose, mainly used in the candy manufacturing industry.

Lactase: Helps the body digest lactose, breaking it down into glucose and galactose.

Trypsin: One of the major mammalian proteases. Used in some infant formulas for the initial digestion of casein.

By Rabbi Zushe Yosef Blech