Inactivation of off-taste inducing enzymes

Abstract

The present inventions relates to a method for the production of gellan gum, under mixing conditions, the method comprising a) providing a fermentation broth or other liquid medium containing gellan gum, b) if necessary adjusting the temperature and the pH of the fermentation broth/liquid medium to allow or facilitate enzymatic treatment in step c, c) adding one or more enzymes capable of reducing or abolishing the enzymatic activity of S. elodea derived arylsulfatase and/or β-glucuronidase, said one or more enzymes being added in an amount sufficient to reduce or abolish the enzymatic activity of S. elodea derived arylsulfatase and/or β-glucuronidase in the broth/liquid medium, and/or treating the broth/liquid medium at a temperature between 90° C. and 125° C. for a period of time sufficient to reduce or abolish the enzymatic activity of S. elodea derived arylsulfatase and/or β-glucuronidase in the broth/liquid medium, and d) optionally recovering the gellan gum from the gellan gum containing broth/liquid medium.

1 .- 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method for a production of gellan gum, under mixing conditions, the method comprising:
 providing a liquid medium containing the gellan gum;   adjusting a temperature and a pH of the liquid medium to facilitate enzymatic treatment;   applying the enzymatic treatment, wherein the enzymatic treatment comprises one or more of:
 1) adding one or more enzymes capable of reducing or abolishing the enzymatic activity of one or more of  S. elodea  derived arylsulfatase or β-glucuronidase, wherein the one or more enzymes are added in an amount sufficient to reduce or abolish the enzymatic activity of the one or more of the  S. elodea  derived arylsulfatase or the β-glucuronidase in the liquid medium, and 
 2) treating the liquid medium at a temperature between 90° C. and 125° C. for a period of time sufficient to reduce or abolish the enzymatic activity of the one or more of the  S. elodea  derived arylsulfatase or the β-glucuronidase; and 
   recovering the gellan gum from the liquid medium.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the temperature is adjusted to between 53° C. and 57° C. when adjusting the temperature and the pH of the liquid medium to facilitate enzymatic treatment. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the pH is adjusted to be in a range of an optimum activity of the one or more enzymes applied during the enzymatic treatment. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the liquid medium is kept at about 55° C. and at about the pH of 8.0 for a period of time followed by adjustment of the pH to between 6.5 and 7.0. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein mixing conditions are provided by one or more of a stiffing power input or an aeration flow. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein a chelating agent is added to the liquid medium before or during the adjusting of the temperature and the pH of the liquid medium. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the chelating agent is selected from the group comprising one or more of citric acid, oxalic acid, phosphoric acid, DTPA, EDTA, or NTA. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the citric acid is added in the form of about 50% solution to the liquid medium. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the recovered gellan gum is admixed with food ingredients to effect gelation of the gellan gum to produce a gellan-containing food. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the recovered gellan gum is admixed with drug components to effect gelation of the gellan gum to produce a gellan-containing drug composition suitable for oral use. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the gellan-containing food comprises bakery fillings, confections, dairy products, dessert gels, frostings, icings, glazes, jams, jellies, low-fat spreads, microwavable foods, puddings, sauces, structured foods, and toppings. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the drug formulation is selected from the group comprising a gel, a tablet, and a capsule. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the gellan gum in the drug formulation is present in an amount effective to function as one or more of a thickener, emulsifier or stabilizer. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the gellan gum in the gellan-containing food is present in an amount effective to function as one or more of a thickener, emulsifier or stabilizer. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein after the liquid medium is treated at the temperature between 90° C. and 125° C., the liquid medium is cooled down to the temperature of about 80° C. and then precipitated by addition of an alcohol. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the precipitation is a continuous precipitation. 
     
     
         45 . A method for a production of gellan gum, under mixing conditions, the method comprising:
 providing a liquid medium containing the gellan gum;   adjusting a temperature and a pH of the liquid medium to facilitate enzymatic treatment;   applying the enzymatic treatment, wherein the enzymatic treatment comprises adding one or more of a lysozyme or a protease capable of reducing or abolishing the enzymatic activity of one or more of  S. elodea  derived arylsulfatase or β-glucuronidase, wherein the one or more of the lysozyme or the protease are added in an amount sufficient to reduce or abolish the enzymatic activity of the one or more of the  S. elodea  derived arylsulfatase or the β-glucuronidase in the liquid medium; and   recovering the gellan gum from the liquid medium.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the enzymatic treatment comprises adding an alcalase that confers both lysozyme and protease enzymatic activity. 
     
     
         47 . A method for a production of gellan gum, under mixing conditions, the method comprising:
 providing a liquid medium containing the gellan gum, wherein the gellan gum comprises one or more of a  S. elodea  derived arylsulfatase or a β-glucuronidase;   treating the liquid medium at a temperature between 90° C. and 125° C. for a period of time sufficient to reduce or abolish enzymatic activity of the one or more of the  S. elodea  derived arylsulfatase or the β-glucuronidase; and   recovering the gellan gum from the liquid medium.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the liquid medium is treated at the temperature between 100° C. and 120° C.