c-LEcta and ANKA have recently announced their development of Acrylerase - a new food enzyme to reduce acrylamide in instant coffee and ready to drink coffee beverages.
This technology is the first to target acrylamide directly, and offers significant benefits over existing mitigation measures
As acrylamide is considered carcinogenic, limitation and mitigation of this process contaminant in food is a priority in regulatory acts worldwide.
Typically, acrylamide is formed when starchy food materials are exposed to high heat, such as during roasting and extraction to produce soluble coffee, coffee concentrates as well as cereal- or chicory-based coffee surrogates.
Acrylerase is the first commercially available enzyme that can directly decompose acrylamide, enabling effective on-site control of acrylamide levels during the processing of soluble coffee and coffee extracts.
The enzyme can be integrated into existing manufacturing processes, meaning that costly mitigation methods which would otherwise be necessary, can be avoided.
Dr Marc Struhalla, CEO of c-LEcta, commented: “This enzyme product offers a practical solution for soluble coffee manufacturers. Acrylerase can efficiently reduce acrylamide levels without compromising taste or disrupting production processes.”
