Recombinant Enzymes in the Meat Industry and the Regulations of Recombinant Enzymes in Food Processing

The meat industry is among the largest agriculture sectors in many countries, especially in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the developed countries of Europe and the Americas. The meat industry employs enzymes in four specific areas: meat tenderization, cross-linking meats, flavor development and nutrition improvement. This chapter deals with a summary of the regulations that govern the use of recombinant enzymes in food processing. Both texture and flavor are essential indicators of meat quality. The two main components that contribute to tenderness are myofibril integrity and connective tissue robustness. Dry-cured meats are uncooked meat products that are made after eight to 24 months of ripening, during which an uncontrolled microbial population proliferates on the surface of the meat. In contrast to other meats, fish meat softens more rapidly than mammalian or poultry meat. The determination of safety of meat-processing enzyme preparations is based on scientific evidence and is assessed under the conditions in which it is used directly or indirectly.