The enzyme, dubbed Maxipro HSP, can help meat product manufacturers use more of the protein from animal-derived ingredients, as an alternative to vegetable protein ingredients, such as soy protein. It is intended to selectively hydrolyze protein in side streams, isolating proteins without affecting their sensory or functional properties.
The enzyme allows producers to increase ingredient functionality, and nutritional value and is colourless, odourless and taste-neutral.
Innovation manager enzymes at DSM Food Specialties Cindy Gerhardt said: “Blood for example, is rich in high quality, nutritious protein and forms a fully natural constituent of red meat. Europe, the USA and China alone produce more than 5 million tons of pork and beef blood per year, but today only 25-30% of this blood pool is processed to isolate the proteins.”
She said that the enzyme allows industry to recover all available protein from blood side streams, enabling more sustainable processed meat production.
The enzyme works by specifically selecting the amino acid histidine.
Gerhardt explained: “Due to its high histidine specificity, MaxiPro HSP has proven to be particularly efficient in removing remove the heme part from the blood protein hemoglobin. This heme group is responsible for the red-to-dark brown colour and the iron taste, making hemoglobin difficult to apply in high end meat applications. Although enzymatic or chemical removal of heme has been known to the industry, MaxiPro HSP has obvious benefits due to its mild hydrolysis profile. The result is a more effective decolourisation process that preserves the valuable functionalities of the globin protein, while selectively removing the strong taste and dark odour of the heme.”
The company claims that its initial tests have demonstrated good flavour, gelation and water binding properties in processed meats using protein isolated with its new enzyme.