3.9. Fat and Oil Industries

Several enzymatic processes have been developed to modify the properties (melting characteristics, etc) of natural fats and oils. Particularly, lipases, phospholipases and pectinases can be used for interesterification processes, ester syntheses and olive-oil extraction.

The main current application of lipase catalysed processes is in the production of valuable confectionary fats.

Many other new potencial applications of lipases have been proposed of which some will certainly be economically feasible (J.Tramper, 1994 ⁷):

• pancreatin, a mixture of enzymes from the pig pancreas, can improve the emulsifying properties of lecithin by the action of the enzyme phospholipase A-2, thus improving the stability of mayonnaise. In general microbial enzymes are largely replacing those from animal sources.
• pectolytic and cellulolytic blends are used to enhance the maceration of olive-oil pulp, thereby improving olive-oil extraction yield.