Page 27 - FoodFocusThailand No.226 January 2025

SPECIAL FOCUS FOCUS
SPECIAL

Future-Forward of Food Technology:

Innovation for Boosting Productivity

and Building a Sustainable

Food production innovations are entering a new era, highlighted by the integration of technology and the
balance between food quality and sustainability. Food processing advancements address consumers’
demands and prepare for population growth in the following years. Consequently, technologies that
enhance production efficiency are essential for reducing waste and effectively utilizing resources while
preserving nutritional value and ensuring consumer safety.

Enzyme technology for enhancing product the cross-linking of whey proteins, resulting in smoother textures
quality for yogurt and cheese while improving stability and overall
The global transglutaminase enzyme market is rapidly product quality.
growing, currently valued at approximately $474.1 million and Furthermore, enzymes are specifically designed to enhance
projected to increase at a CAGR of 7.4%. This growth could flavor and improve the production efficiency of low-alcohol and
elevate the market value to $967.5 million by 2031. Such non-alcoholic beers without requiring significant investment .
1
expansion reflects the increasing enzyme applications across These enzymes facilitate the conversion of maltose into
various industries and the development of new products, isomalto-oligosaccharides (IMOs), which enriches the beer's
particularly in key regions such as North America, Europe, mouthfeel, providing a fuller taste without producing alcohol.
and Asia-Pacific, which are driving this growth. Transglutaminase This transformation leads to a reduction in the real degree of
is recognized as a "natural glue" enzyme, effectively forming fermentation, enabling producers to create beverages that are
cross-links between proteins. This property enhances the close to traditional full-alcohol beers. These enzymes also
texture and structural integrity of food products. The enzymes contribute to energy savings during the alcohol evaporation
that play essential roles in the food industry include: (1) Meat process and can reduce malt consumption by up to 37%.
processing: It can bond the minced meat into complete pieces, Therefore, the incorporation of enzymes into the production
improving firmness and overall product quality. (2) Soybean process not only enhances product quality but also lowers costs
processing: The enzyme can enhance the toughness and and promotes sustainability within the food and beverage
elasticity of tofu, making it more resistant to cooking and industry.
chewing. (3) Dairy processing: Transglutaminase can catalyze
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