What are enzymes? They’re a hidden - but integral - part of the food and drink industry. In alcohol, they’re a traditional part of how grains or grapes become a very much elevated product: beer or wine.
Enzymes are biological catalysts: which speed up chemical reactions in living organisms (without being used up themselves in the process) and elevate - or transform - one liquid into another.
But their transformational potential is huge. Improved flavour profiles, extended shelf-life, better texture and stability... their potential now spreads across many beverage categories.
We take a look at how enzymes are transforming two key beverage categories.
Conquering mouthfeel challenges in alcohol-free drinks
Alcohol-free drinks are booming. Yet despite the leaps and bounds made in innovation in the category, there’s still a common complaint: drinks feel ‘thin’ or ‘watery’.
That’s because the ethanol in the drinks provides a thickness that is lost when it’s removed.
One way to tackle this is to turn to a concoction of stabilizers: but the downside is obvious - consumers don’t want UPFs and long ingredient lists.
IFF is working to solve this “feel” gap at the molecular level. Their scientists have developed a clever set of enzymes that re-engineer the brewing process itself.
These enzymes, branded as Diazyme, convert fermentable sugars into unfermentable ones before the yeast is added to the mix, which ultimately creates a liquid that mimics the weight and texture of regular alcoholic drink without the ethanol.
Of course, enzymes are not new in drinks.
“Brewing has always been an enzymatic craft,” explains Dr. Sven Schönenberg, senior manager global application brewing and distilling at IFF.
“All enzymes are similar and natural proteins able of catalyzing very specific reactions.”
With Diazyme Nolo, the brewers toolkit is adapted to modern use.
“The difference is one of design intent, not of mechanism,” he says. “Rather than releasing sugars the yeast will turn into alcohol, Diazyme Nolo converts them into iso-malto-oligosaccharides: low-GI, low-kcal carbohydrates the yeast can’t ferment.
“So, it isn’t “lowering” the alcohol by taking anything out, it prevents some of it from forming in the first place. Fermentation still happens; the beer still develops naturally with standard yeast; there’s just less alcohol at the end.
“It’s the same biological principle that has always defined brewing, guided toward an outcome consumers are now asking for.”
Better coffee
Coffee is another globally popular category that shows no signs of slowing down.
But it has a dark side. Acrylamide is a process-related contaminant that’s formed naturally during high-temperature processing such as roasting. In the EU, Acrylamide is treated as a substance of concern.
Often associated with potato or cereal based products, bakery producers are able to target the precursor of acrylamide (asparagine). However, this approach has proven far less practical for the coffee industry.
So Kerry has looked at the problem from the opposite direction: offering the first commercially-available enzyme designed to decompose acrylamide after it forms.
Last month, the company received a positive scientific opinion from EFSA for this novel amidase food enzyme, Acrylerase.
The enzyme is designed to significantly reduce acrylamide in coffee extracts used to manufacture instant coffee and coffee substitutes.
Targeting acrylamide after it’s produced is transformational for coffee for several reasons. “It [acrylerase] can be seamlessly integrated into existing processing workflows without requiring additional unit operations,” explains Ronan Moloney, VP Enzymes at Kerry.
“Importantly, compared to other mitigation strategies, Acrylerase achieves acrylamide reduction without compromising taste or yield.”
From alcohol-free drinks to coffee and beyond
Acrylerase is just one example of how enzymes can help solve real world manufacturing and food safety challenges.
"Enzymes are widely used across the beverage industry as processing aids to improve yield, clarity, raw material flexibility, flavour, and process efficiency," explains Moloney.
“Continuous enzyme innovation not only enables process intensification and yield improvement but also contributes to enhanced product quality and consumer experience.
“For instance, lactase solutions are widely used not only to enable lactose-free dairy but also to deliver sugar reduction by increasing the perceived natural sweetness without added sugars.
“And in nutritional beverages, carbohydrase enzymes such as β-glucanases and xylanases support improved extraction efficiency, filtration, and yield in applications like brewing and plant-based drinks, helping manufacturers optimize both process performance and resource use.”
