Study of the purity of food enzymes for the development of general purity criteria for food enzymes (SPECENZYM)

Currently there is no strategy for efficient and accurate control and monitoring of contaminants in food enzymes (FE) and FE preparations. This project addresses this gap. The challenge is to develop an integrated coherent methodology for the quality control of FE and FE preparations. The aim is to test technologies and expertise developed for other areas of application and possibly adjust them according to this objective. 

We collect information about FE and about methods valid in control labs, which can also be applied to detect impurities in FE, including those produced by GMMs: 1. Detection of antibiotics, heavy metals, mycotoxins, allergens; 2. Detection of bacteria including pathogens, yeasts and fungi, including genetically modified organisms.
After testing and validating the available methods for their usability for FE quality checks, we integrate them into a workflow. This is in turn tested through a pilot monitoring study. In addition, we plan sampling and analysis of FE and FE preparations available on the Belgian market and applied in the Belgian food industry.

The complementarity of expertise and the participation of the entire chain in this project makes it possible to develop a control plan for FE and FE preparations in an integrated way. The research results of the pilot monitoring are the basis for issuing recommendations for the competent authorities (FPS Public Health and the Belgian Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC)) and to help them to take appropriate measures to ensure the safe use of FE in the food chain. During the project the competent authorities and the food industry can already interact and make suggestions to the project partners regarding the monitoring of the quality of FE, including the applicability of analytical detection techniques. We expect the results to be relevant for discussions at (inter) national level in terms of the development of the legal framework and in terms of measures to ensure compliance with quality standards for FE.