Enzymes increase processing capacity
and improve economy in the fruit juice and wine industries. The most commonly
used enzymes in these industries are pectinases. Pectinases increase juice
yields and accelerate juice clarification. They produce clear and stable single-strength
juices, juice concentrates and wines, from not only core-fruits such as apples
and pears, but also stone fruits, berries, grapes, citrus-fruits, tropical
fruits and vegetables like carrots, beets and green peppers.
Fruit and Vegetable Juice
Specialty Enzymes are pectinases that contain hemicellulase enzyme activities.
These products not only increase juice yields, but also increase the color and
health-promoting antioxidants in fruit and vegetable juices extracted by
pressing or decanter centrifuge. By reducing fruit and vegetable mash viscosity
and improving solid/liquid separation, they increase color extraction and juice
volume
Pectinase and Amylase enzyme solutions speed up filtration and prevent storage
or post-packaging haze formation by depectinizing and reducing starch in raw
juices. Pectin and starch must be removed from freshly extracted juices prior to
filtration, fining and concentration.Pectinase and Amylase can reduce starch and
pectin in raw fruits and juices, thus achieving clear and stable juices and
juice concentrates.
Wine
Many of the biochemical reactions involved in wine production are enzyme-catalyzed.
They begin during the ripening and harvesting of grapes, and continue through
alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, clarification, and ageing. Winemakers
often supplement naturally occurring grape enzymes with commercial enzymes to
increase production capacity of clear and stable wines with enhanced body,
flavor and bouquet.
When added to grapes or musts, Pectinase that contain hemicellulase enzyme
products increase free-run juice volume and extraction of color, fermentable
sugars and flavor components, as well as reduce pressing and fermentation time.
These pectinase or pectinase containing hemicellulase products can increase free-run
juice volume by 20 to 30 percent and lower fermentation time by 30 to 50 percent
by reducing grape-pectin viscosity.
Rapid clarification and well-separated lees have a positive effect on finished
wine flavor, texture and color.B-glucanase containing Pectinase depectinize
grape-musts during fermentation or young wines prior to fining and filtration.
Grape musts and wines treated with B-glucanase containing Pectinase are less
viscous. They ferment, settle and mature more quickly.
A beta-glucanase containing pectinase, is also used to degrade Botrytis-glucan.
Wines made from overripe grapes infected with Botrytis cinerea mold are often
difficult to clarify and filter due to high concentrations of Botrytis-produced
glucan polysaccharides. The use of B-glucanase containing Pectinase can speed up
clarification and filtration.
Acid proteases clarify and stabilize some wines by reducing or removing
naturally occurring and yeast synthesized, heat-labile proteins.