Production of enzymes

For thousands of years, mankind has used micro-organisms (bacteria, yeasts and moulds) – and the enzymes they produce – to make bread, cheese, beer and wine. Nowadays, we can identify those enzymes that are responsible, for example, for making beer. Enzymes used for industrial applications are produced by controlled and contained fermentation in large closed fermentation tanks, using a well-defined production strain.

These production strains grow under very specific conditions to maximize the amount of enzyme that they produce.

When fermentation is complete, the production strain cells are inactivated and removed by centrifugation/filtration, separating the resulting enzyme from its production strain. The enzyme concentrate is then purified, standardised and stabilised with diluents – delivering liquid or granulated enzyme products, depending on the application it will be used in.

Production of enzymes by fermentation has many advantages. It allows ensuring a constant quality of the product and a high production yield. It also helps to obtain enzymes specifically targeted to perform specific tasks under required conditions: like detergent enzymes which are active at very low temperatures.

Current EU regulations ensure that this entire process follows rigorous requirements, to ensure safety and robustness of the sector’s quality system.