The Magic Uses of Glucose Oxidase

Glucose oxidase is an enzyme found in molds such as penicillium indicum and honey. It is a typical oxidoreductase.

Ⅰ. The function and application of glucose oxidase

As a food additive, it is widely used in the preservation of various foods. It can catalyze the oxidation of glucose by consuming oxygen in the air. Therefore, the enzyme can be used to remove glucose or oxygen. Glucose oxidase is a kind of aerobic dehydrogenase, which has multiple effects on food. The biggest role in food preservation and packaging is to remove oxygen and extend the shelf life of food.

Many foods, especially fresh foods, are greatly affected by the presence of oxygen during their preservation or processing. Deoxygenation is a necessary means in food preservation. There are many deoxygenation methods, and the use of glucose oxidase to deoxygenate is an ideal method.

Glucose oxidase has an ideal deoxygenation effect which is very specific to oxygen. For the oxidative deterioration that has occurred, it can prevent further development or prevent it from occurring. Therefore, it can be used in the packaging of tea, ice cream, milk powder, beer, fruit wine and other beverage products, and it can also be used for protein de-sweetening, canned food and wine storage.

Ⅱ. The specific application of glucose oxidase in the food industry

1. Glucose oxidase function includes removing glucose from egg liquid to prevent the protein product from discoloration and deterioration during storage. The maximum dosage is 500mg/kg.

2. Glucose oxidase can be used for deoxygenation of citrus beverages, beer, white wine, etc. to prevent the color from deepening, reducing the flavor and metal leaching. Adding an appropriate amount during beer processing can remove the dissolved oxygen and bottleneck oxygen in the beer and prevent the oxidative deterioration of the beer. Adding an appropriate amount during the processing of white wine can prevent the white wine from discoloring under the action of polyphenol oxidase.

Glucose oxidase can also prevent vitamin C in fruit juice from being destroyed by oxidation, and lipids in fatty foods from rancidity due to oxidation. In addition, it can also effectively prevent oxidation and corrosion of the inner wall of the filling container. Since the GOD catalytic process can not only oxidize and denature glucose, but also consume multiple oxygen molecules in the reaction, so it can be widely used as a deoxidizer for food preservation.

3. Glucose oxidase can be used in whole milk powder, grains, cocoa, coffee, shrimp, meat and other foods. It can prevent browning caused by glucose. At the same time, GOD is used in meat and protein foods to help produce golden color. Using GOD to remove oxygen from the sealed system can inhibit fat oxidation and oxidative degradation of natural pigments. For example, immersing shrimp and crab with GOD solution can prevent the change from pink to yellow.