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Food industries use a great variety of enzymes as additives. The main percentage of them are produced by species of filamentous fungi. In this review we present the strategies to purify and overproduce this kind of enzymes using recombinant DNA techniques.
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The food industry is a critical factor in any potentially successful long-term strategy to prevent obesity. By producing new products low in energy density and improving the nutritional quality (and reducing the energy content) of existing products, as well as through advances in responsible marketing and labeling, the food industry can provide foods that enable consumers to achieve lower energy intakes without going short of essential nutrients. The food industry is not the sole factor and government policies regarding agriculture, prices and subsidies are equally essential. Caterers and retailers are yet another important cog in the wheel for progress in obesity prevention. Intensive collaboration between all these players will only be attained if obesity prevention is given the priority it deserves in future public health planning.
The food industry necessarily provides what the nation will eat. Whilst taking care to meet all the standards laid down, the industry has to follow fashion rather than to dictate it. It welcomes advice from the medical profession but much advice has been slow to come. In this spirit of co-operation the food industry accepts its role to feed the nation and does so with responsibility for health and hygiene.
The food industry is interested considerably in using ozone to enhance the shelf-life and safety of food products and in exploring new applications of the sanitizer. This interest was recently accompanied by a US governmental approval of ozone for the safe use, in gaseous and aqueous phases, as an antimicrobial agent on food, including meat and poultry. Ozone has a strong microbicidal action against bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses when these microorganisms are present in low ozone-demand media. Readily available organic constituents in food, however, compete with microorganisms for applied ozone and thus efficacy of the treatment is minimized. Ozone is suitable for washing and sanitizing solid food with intact and smooth surfaces (e.g., fruits and vegetables) and ozone-sanitized fresh produce has recently been introduced in the US market. Use of ozone to sanitize equipment, packaging materials, and processing environment is currently investigated. Efforts to decontaminate bean sprouts and remove biofilm with ozone have not been successful. The antimicrobial efficacy can be enhanced considerably when ozonation is combined with other chemical (e.g., hydrogen peroxide) or physical (e.g., ultraviolet radiation) treatments. Mechanical action is also needed as a means to dislodge microorganisms from the surface of food and expose them to the action of the sanitizer. The food industry also is interested in using ozone to decontaminate processing water and decrease its chemical and biological oxygen demand. This application improves the reusability of processing water and allows for environment-friendly processing operations.
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The food industry has a long history of providing food products in line with nutritional requirements. Examples are vitamin-enriched margarines, low fat products, and high fibre products. Communication about the nutrition and health aspects of these products is essential, since a consumer cannot 'see' from the product what its health properties are. Governments are regulating health messages to prevent overstatements and misleading of consumers. The discussion on the degree of regulation has intensified because of new developments in the Functional Foods area.
With regard to food hygiene, the question is posed whether carriers of pathogenic organisms, like Salmonella can contaminate a product by their hands. This might especially be possible in case of bad toilet hygiene. Experiments were carried out in 13 food and 3 non-food establishments. An inquiry was made into habits of toilet use and hand washing. The following microbiological examinations were performed on workers' hands: total colony-forming-units per hand, and the presence of Salmonella, E. coli, Enterobact., Staph. aureus, faecal Streptococci and Cl. perfringens. Approximately 42% of workers in the food industry and approximately 64% of workers in other industries seems to use the factory toilet regularly for defaecation. Because of the presence of contaminated raw materials in food industries, it is impossible to get direct proof that faecal contamination of the hands is due to toilet use. However, there is indirect evidence that contamination of workers' hands by raw materials, especially of animal origin, is of much more importance than the consequences of toilet use. This is shown by the occurrence of Salmonella on the hands (5-36% pos.) in only those factories where raw materials of animal origin are handled, by the low incidence of E. coli on the hands in food industries where "clean" materials (vegetables, biscuits, chocolate) are handled, and by the total absence of E. coli on the hands of workers in two non-food industries.
Although most food-allergic reactions occur after ingestion of nonpackaged food products, the food industry has been subjected to increasing scrutiny of their allergen controls; the resulting impact on the industry has been remarkable. Undeclared food allergens have been responsible for many food product recalls during the past 13 years, and the food industry has made significant investment, effort, and improvements in allergen control during this time. Recently, tests for some allergenic foods have been commercialized, and proven useful to the industry in controlling allergens and helpful for regulatory agencies investigating food-allergic consumer complaints. However, testing methods still do not exist for some of the common allergenic foods. Labeling initiatives have been pursued to make ingredient listings more easily understood by food-allergic consumers, but further improvements could still be made. Additional research to determine eliciting doses for allergenic foods is needed to enable science-based risk assessment and risk management.
The food industry appreciates the complexity of applying the new Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) in labeling. The industry is prepared to update food labels to reflect new nutrient recommendations and views upcoming changes as an opportunity to harmonize nutrition information across the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, MyPyramid.gov, and the food label. Members of the Grocery Manufacturers Association are unanimous in their belief that the food label be as useful to consumers as possible. This article raises discussion points, issues, and implications associated with implementation of the new DRIs on the food label.
The production of foods for an increasingly informed and selective consumer requires the coordinated activities of the various branches of the food chain in order to provide convenient, wholesome, tasty, safe and affordable foods. Also, the size and complexity of the food sector ensures that no single player can control a single process from seed production, through farming and processing to a final product marketed in a retail outlet. Furthermore, the scientific advances in genome research and their exploitation via biotechnology is leading to a technology driven revolution that will have advantages for the consumer and food industry alike. The segment of food processing aids, namely industrial enzymes which have been enhanced by the use of biotechnology, has proven invaluable in the production of enzymes with greater purity and flexibility while ensuring a sustainable and cheap supply. Such enzymes produced in safe GRAS microorganisms are available today and are being used in the production of foods. A second rapidly evolving segment that is already having an impact on our foods may be found in the new genetically modified crops. While the most notorious examples today were developed by the seed companies for the agro-industry directed at the farming sector for cost saving production of the main agronomical products like soya and maize, its benefits are also being seen in the reduced use of herbicides and pesticides which will have long term benefits for the environment. Technology-driven advances for the food processing industry and the consumer are being developed and may be divided into two separate sectors that will be presented in greater detail: 1. The application of genome research and biotechnology to the breeding and development of improved plants. This may be as an aid for the cataloging of industrially important plant varieties, the rapid identification of key quality traits for enhanced classical breeding programs, or the genetic modification of important plants for improved processing properties or health characteristics. 2. The development of advanced microorganisms for food fermentations with improved flavor production, health or technological characteristics. Both yeasts and bacteria have been developed that fulfill these requirements, but are as yet not used in the production of foods.
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The relationship between the media, the food industry and the consumer is probably at its lowest point as we start the new millennium. The frequency of food scares appears to be increasing and news reports sometimes seem both sensational and polarised. High profile issues like the development of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the UK and the dioxin contamination of poultry products in Belgium have undermined consumer confidence in the food industry. The recent genetically modified foods' debate has served to demonstrate the gulf that has grown between the food industry, food safety experts and the public. This is a rift that has been exploited by environmental pressure groups and fuelled by the media. This paper examines some of the underlying causes of the current air of mistrust that seems to exist between the media, the food industry and the consumer. Also, by examining the projected trends in these root causes, it draws some conclusions for the future relationship between the parties involved and suggests some changes that may improve the present situation.
About 80% of the food consumed in the developed countries is processed by the food industry and 40% of this food is consumed outside the home. The food industry can therefore play a major role in helping the consumer to eat wisely by offering carbohydrate-rich foods, which can help reduce excess energy intake, improve diabetes control, and reduce dental caries. In many foods, fat has been reduced, dietary fiber increased, and sugar decreased; this has often been achieved by using carbohydrate ingredients and appropriate technology without decreasing the sensory quality of the foods.