ENZYME

ENZYME HELPS REDUCE ACRYLAMIDE LEVELS IN COFFEE

Novozymes, which describes itself as a ‘bio-innovation’ company, says an enzyme it has developed can reduce acrylamide levels in coffee by up to 70 per cent without adversely affecting flavour.

Acrylamide has been regarded as a potential health risk since 2002 when Swedish researchers discovered that many different starchy foods contain high levels of acrylamide when fried or baked.

Acrylamide is among 800 chemicals listed under California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 – better known as Proposition 65 – as posing a risk of causing cancer or reproductive harm, according to the state’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA).

“Novozymes is the first company to target acrylamide mitigation in coffee,” said Emmanuel Michelot, Business Development Manager for Food at the company. “Following our high-performing solutions for biscuits and snacks, we are launching Acrylaway CB L, which is proven to reduce acrylamide levels in Arabica and Robusta coffees by up to 70 per cent.

“By adding Acrylaway before roasting the beans, asparagine is converted into another common amino acid, aspartic acid, which does not take part in the formation of acrylamide,” Mr Michelot explained.

“We have been running a number of lab tests in our R&D centre in Denmark. These have shown a significant reduction of asparagine levels in the coffee beans and the acrylamide levels in the finished product,” he said.

“We have also confirmed these results on industrial scale at a customer’s premises,” Mr Michelot told C&CI. “Approximately 200 tonnes of coffee beans have been treated so far with Acrylaway CB L and these beans have been then roasted and sold to the market.”

For more information see the forthcoming November 2011 issue of Coffee & Cocoa International.

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