News

DSM launches acrylamide reduction solution

13 Jul 2018

DSM has introduced PreventASe XR, an enzymatic solution that is said to prevent the formation of acrylamide in high-pH applications such as corn chips, biscuits, and crackers.

DSM has introduced PreventASe XR, an enzymatic solution that is said to prevent the formation of acrylamide in high-pH applications such as corn chips, biscuits, and crackers. DSM says its PreventASe is a trusted acrylamide-reduction solution proven to reduce acrylamide in processed foods by up to 95%. While PreventASe is said to be suitable for a broad range of applications, the new PreventASe XR is optimised for higher-pH applications.

Global awareness about acrylamide is on the rise, the company notes. Acrylamide is a suspected carcinogenic substance formed in foods containing reducing sugars which are processed at a high temperature. Food manufacturers are acting fast, DSM says, to reduce acrylamide in their products, but face a challenge to deliver acrylamide-reduced versions of their products with the same taste and texture their consumers know and love. DSM’s PreventASe and PreventASe XR are asparaginases that convert free asparagine present in many foods, thereby preventing the formation of acrylamide without impacting taste, texture or shelf-life.

“The global conversation about acrylamide is heating up, and DSM is working with our customers to address this challenge for the food industry,” said Fokke van den Berg, Business Director for Baking at DSM. “An advantage of using asparaginase to tackle acrylamide is it requires negligible changes to a product recipe or production process. With PreventASe and now PreventASe XR, DSM is enabling acrylamide reduction in the widest range of snacks and baked goods.”

DSM believes that manufacturers face challenges in reducing acrylamide levels in applications that contain ingredients like chemical leavening agents or masa (corn which has undergone a lime treatment) such as savoury crackers, biscuits, tortilla chips, and corn chips, and are therefore more alkaline (up to pH 9). A higher-pH can limit the effectiveness of asparaginases currently available on the market, the company says. PreventASe XR is claimed to be ideal for more alkaline applications, and to deliver significant reductions in acrylamide levels of up to 95%, depending on the application.