New bread shelf-life extender from AB Enzymes as patent expires
The firm’s Veron xTender product is a maltogenic amylase preparation, said to help improve and extend crumb softness, elasticity and freshness of bread.
Derived from bacillus subtilis, the enzyme breaks down flour starch by modifying the side chains of amylopectin. According to AB Enzymes, this slows down the retrogradation of products, delivering better overall freshness than previously available maltogenic amylase products in the market.
Protected market
The launch has been made possible by the recent expiration of a competing patent, explained the firm.
“Some European enzyme supplies were blocked on maltogenic amylase for many years by a patent that expired just a few days ago. This means that the market was previously dominated by only one European enzyme supplier,” AB Enzymes told FoodNavigator.com.
The new product will be available in all global markets except the US, where the existing patent protection extends to 2018.
Bread improvers
Veron xTender is a single strength product designed for use in bread improvers. It is said to be easy to incorporate into existing improver formulations since it has a broad dosage range.
AB Enzymes says this allows it to work “without any negative impact on the dough properties or processing parameters other than providing the desired shelf-life extending effect in the final baked product”.
“With Veron xTender we can finally meet our customers’ previously unmet demand for an alternative product and at the same time provide superior quality and value as well as a technically sound solution,” said Norman Burkardt, Industry Manager for the Veron brand at AB Enzymes.
“It will offer a much better performance, besides better softness it is in particular a better freshness and tenderness of the crumb, which is the key differentiator compared to previously used maltogenic amylases,“ the firm told FoodNavigator.com.
