The Future of Biotechnology in Food Processing

!y the year 2000 the worldwide market for biotechnology-derived food and agricultural products could be valued at tens to hundreds of billions of dollars. The results of the rapid pace of biological research since 1970 indicate that we are only scratching the surface of the potential. We define biotechnology broadly, as the use of biological systems, including micro-organisms or components produced by micro-organisms, in industrial processes. Micro-organisms have been used in food preparation for centuries to preserve and transform raw agricultural commodities into edible products for human consumption. Fermentation of milk, meat and fish, fruits and vegetables, and cereal grains by micro-organisms creates products which contribute to the ñavor, texture and keeping quality of food, suppress the growth of disease and spoüage organisms, and enhance the nutritional quality of the final product. Fermentation is the use of enzymes produced by micro-organisms to change an organic compound into other substances such as carbon dioxide and alcohol. Fermentation technology also has been used for the microbial production of enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, and a host of other components used as food ingredients, nutritive supplements, and food processing aids. In essence, the food processing industry was practicing biotechnology long before it was recognized as a distinct and revolutionary scientific discipline. One facet of biotechnology of particular application in the food industry is genetic engineering. This technique is used in the laboratory to alter the genetic material of living cells so that they can produce more or different chemicals or perform new functions. It will have a profound impact on agriculture and traditional food processing because of the tremendous potential for genetic improvement of plants, animals and micro-organisms. The interface between biotechnology and food processing was explored