AB Enzymes targets Asia with new Veron products
in time to cash in on an increased Asian demand for substitutes,
after the substance was banned in China early this month.
The German enzyme manufacturer will formally launch its new Veron Brox enzyme preparation at the Food Ingredients Asia exhibition to be held in September.
According to the company, the distinct advantage of this new enzyme preparation is that it incorporates an oxidising agent and therefore does not have to be used in combination with additional oxidising agents.
Potassium bromate, a dough strengthening oxidising agent, was first found to cause tumours in rats in 1982. It has since been banned in many countries as a carcinogen, largely replaced by the faster-acting agent ascorbic acid.
"In the Asian market, where the wheat varieties are quite strong, the use of ascorbic acid produces premature dough firmness, which then results in processing difficulties. Bromate was a slower-acting agent, and Veron Brox helps to simulate the action of bromate, compensating for the effects of ascorbic acid," said Oscar Diez, product manager for AB Enzymes.
The enzyme, which is also marketed as increasing the volume and improving the crumb quality of bread, may also target the US market, where bromate substitutes are increasingly being sought, said the company.
AB Enzymes, which is not the first on the market with this kind of enzyme blend, hopes to gain a foothold by offering a higher concentration, more cost-effective product, as well as prices up to 25 per cent cheaper than existing products.
The company is also launching an enzyme preparation developed to improve the dough stability in steamed buns.
"Since these buns are not baked there is no crust formation and the dough is quite sensitive. Veron MT is a stabilizing enzyme that provides better shape, volume and strength," Diez told BakeryAndSnacks.com.
The company claims to be the first to produce a "tailor-made" enzyme for this specific process.
