BTG 307 Food Biotechnology I Definition and Scope

BTG 307 Food Biotechnology I Definition and Scope of Food Biotechnology By Dr. Friday N. Nwalo Department of Biology/Microbiology/Biotechnology Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo

Introduction to Food Biotechnology Ø Food biotechnology is a branch of food science in which modern biotechnological techniques are applied to improve food production or food itself. Ø Different biotechnological processes used to create and improve new food and beverage products include industrial fermentation, plant and animal cultures, and genetic engineering Ø Technically speaking, Food biotechnology employs the tools of modern genetics to enhance beneficial traits of plants, animals and microorganisms for food production. It involves adding or extracting select genes to achieve desired traits.

Introduction to Food Biotechnology Ø Biotechnology methods are currently used to improve many foods. Ø Food biotechnology has had a profound positive impact on farming and food security. Ø The process whereby micro-organisms and their enzymes bring about these desirable changes in food materials is known as fermentation. Ø Fermentation processing is also widely applied in the production of microbial cultures, enzymes, flavours, fragrances, food additives and a range of other high value-added products.

Consumer Benefits of Food Biotechnology Ø Taste and Quality – Delayed ripening allows fruits and vegetables to remain fresh longer eg Flavorsavar®. – Increased solids give foods superior taste and less water to remove for sauces. Ø Nutrition – Some oils are lower in saturated fat and higher in oleic acid, making them more stable for frying without further processing. – Some foods have lower levels of saturated fat. Ø Health – Some foods have enhanced nutritional profiles. – Biotechnology allows for the production of foods to help protect against diseases. – Enhanced foods are now offering higher levels of antioxidant vitamins to reduce risk of cancer.

Benefits (Contd) Ø Golden rice which is an enhanced food Biotechnology product holds the promise for the treatment of Vitamin A deficiency and Anemia (Iron deficiency) Ø Food biotechnology will allow more food to be produced on less land. Ø Resource-poor farmers in developing nations could use biotechnology crops to achieve greater yield with reduced crop production costs bringing economic benefits as well as helping to feed the rapidly growing population.

Food Processing Ø Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans either in the home or by the food processing industry.

Food Processing Techniques ØPreparatory Operations v. Soaking, washing, peeling, skinning, defeathering, dehairing, size reduction, mixing and separation. ØCrude processing techniques v. Sun drying, salting, various types of cooking(roasting, smoking, steaming and oven baking), fermentation

Food Processing Techniques (Contd) ØModern Processing Techniques v. Canning v. Blanching/Pasteurization v. Fermentation v. Vacuum bottling v. Tinning v. Spray drying v. Freeze drying/Dehydration v. Fortification/Nutrification

Objectives of Food processing Ø To prevent, reduce, eliminate infestation of food with microbes, insects or vermin. Ø To prevent microbial growth or toxin production by microbes, or reduce to acceptable level Ø To stop or slow deteriorative chemical or biochemical reactions Ø To maintain and/or improve nutritional properties of food(fortification) Ø To increase storage stability or shelf life of food Ø To make food more palatable and attractive Ø To make foods for special groups of people

Food Preservation Ø The process of treating and handling food to stop or greatly slow down spoilage (loss of quality, edibility or nutritive value) caused or accelerated by micro-organisms. Some methods, however, use benign bacteria, yeasts or fungi to add specific qualities and to preserve food (e. g. , cheese, wine) Ø Common methods include; drying, spray drying, freeze drying, freezing, vacuum-packing, canning, preserving in syrup, sugar crystallization, food irradiation, and adding preservatives or inert gases such as carbon dioxide

Food Biotechnology

Introduction • Food biotechnology is the application of technology to modify genes of animals, plants, and microorganisms to create new species which have desired production, marketing, or nutrition related properties. • Remember… genes are sections of DNA that code for protein.

Introduction Called genetically engineered (GE) or genetically modified (GM) foods, they are a source of an unresolved controversy over the uncertainty of their long-term effects on humans and food chains. Nicknamed “Frankenfoods” by anti. GM food groups.

Why genetically modify food? Food biotechnology is and will continue to be an important area in science as the world’s human population continues to increase and the world’s agricultural lands continue to decrease. The following are reasons why “we” genetically modify food.

1) Extended Shelf Life • The first steps in genetic modification were for food producers to ensure larger profits by keeping food fresher, longer. • This allowed for further travel to and longer availability at markets, etc… Extended Shelf Life Milk

Example: Long Shelf Tomatoes These genetically modified tomatoes promise less waste and higher profits. Typically, tomatoes produce a protein that softens them after they have been picked. Scientists can now introduce a gene into a tomato plant that blocks synthesis of the softening protein. Without this protein, the genetically altered tomato softens more slowly than a regular tomato, enabling farmers to harvest it at its most flavorful and nutritious vine-ripe stage.

2) Efficient Food Processing • By genetically modifying food producing organisms, the wait time and quantity of certain food processing necessities are optimized. • Again this is a money saver. Although efficient, this type of food processing is not an example of biotechnology.

Example: Rennin Production The protein rennin is used to coagulate milk in the production of cheese. Rennin has traditionally been made in the stomachs of calves which is a costly process. Now scientists can insert a copy of the rennin gene into bacteria and then use bacterial cultures to mass produce rennin. This saves time, money, space and animals. Rennin in the top test tube… not there in the bottom one.

3) Better Nutrient Composition Some plants, during processing, lose some of the vital nutrients they once possessed. Others are grown in nutrient poor areas. Both these problems can be solved by introducing genes into plants to increase the amount or potency of nutrients. “Biofortification”

Example: Golden Rice Scientists have engineered "golden rice", which has received genes from a daffodil and a bacterium that enable it to make beta-carotene. This offers some promise in helping to correct a worldwide Vitamin A deficiency.

4) Efficient Drug Delivery • Inserting genes into plants/animals to produce essential medicine or vaccines. • “Biopharming”

Many Unpatented Examples • A cow with the genetic equipment to make a vaccine in its milk could provide both nourishment and immunization to a whole village of people now left unprotected because they lack food and medical help (in progress). • Bananas and potatoes make hepatitis vaccines (done). • Making AIDS drugs from tobacco leaves (done). • Harvest vaccines by genetically altering

Potential Problems? ? ? • With every technology there is an associated risk involved. • The following are some examples of potential problems associated with food biotechnology.

1) Creating “Superbugs” Since many of the “vectors” used to introduce genes to plants and animals are bacteria and viruses, it is realistic to think there is a chance they could undergo a mutation and prove harmful or become recombinant like the H 1 N 1 virus and thus more virulent. However, the bacteria and viruses used in these procedures are usually nonpathogenic. Viruses Bacteria

2) Negative Affects on Human Health • Most of these food products undergo testing to see if any adverse health effects occur. • However, allergies were not thought of in one case where a gene from a brazil nut was transferred to soy bean plants! • Thankfully a food product was not pursued as someone came to their senses! • Important to note that not all genes from a potential allergenic food will cause an allergy.

3) Ethics How many human genes would an organism have to have before you consider it human? ? ? The following food types have a variety with human genes added: rice (immune system genes that prevent diarrhea), baby food (lactoferrin and lysozyme) and any farm animal (Human growth hormone).

Homework 1) What is the best reason for genetically modifying food? 2) What is a potential problem that you feel should be studied further before advancing farther into food biotechnology? 3) What food item would you genetically engineer? Why? For what purpose? What genes would you transfer?

Thank You!

BTG 307 FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY q. CLASSES OF FOOD

Food § To survive food must be consumed. § Food: Plant and animal products that may be taken into the body to yield nutrients. The nutrients are used for the maintenance of life and the growth and repair of tissues. § Through the food we eat we get the nutrients needed to run our bodies physiological processes. § Nutrients: Substances obtained from food and used in the body to provide energy,

Classes of Food §Carbohydrates § Proteins §Fats §Vitamins §Minerals §Fibre §Water

Carbohydrates § Carbohydrates are organic compound made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. § Carbohydrates gives us the most energy. § The ratio of hydrogen to oxygen is 2: 1. § Carbohydrates includes sugar, starch, simple sugar and cellulose. § Examples of food rich in carbohydrates

Carbohydrates continued § Monosaccharides üGlucose üFructose üGalactose § Disaccharides üMaltose (glucose + glucose) üSucrose (glucose + fructose) üLactose (glucose + galactose) § Polysaccharides üStarch üCellulose üGlycogen

Proteins § Proteins are organic compound containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. § Sulphur and phosphorus are sometimes present. § A molecule of protein is made up of large number of subunits called amino acids. § Proteins are needed for growth and the repair of body tissues. § They are also needed formation of enzymes, hormones, haemoglobin and antibodies. § Examples of proteins are milk, fish, eggs, chicken and bean curd.

Ø Proteins are made by connecting amino acids together. Here the acid end of glycine will connect to the amino part of alanine. A water is released in the process.

Fats § Fats are compound of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. § Fats are stored under the skin or around the body. § Fats help us keep warm and protects organs from damage. § Fats help us tranports vitamins A, D, E and K.

Vitamins § Vitamins are organic compounds needed in small amounts by our body for health and growth. § Vitamins are divided into two groups which are watersoluble vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins. § Water-soluble vitamins are vitamins B and C, whereas fatsoluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E and K. Although vitamins are organic they do NOT give the body energy, they are used as helpers in the extraction of energy. (coenzymes) Although too little of a vitamin may cause a deficiency, too much maybe toxic.

Vitamin contd Vitamin Source Function Deficiency Disease A Milk, butter, egg yolk, carrot, tomato, green vegetables - night vision, - healthy skin - night blindness - skin defections B Yeast, eggs, liver - Releases energy from carbohydrates - Healthy nervous system - Healthy skin - Formation of red blood cells - beri - anaemia C Fresh fruits and vegetables - healing of wounds - resistance to disease - scurvy (bleeding gums) D Butter, fish oils, eggs - strong bones and teeth - rickets (soft bones and dental decay) E Cereals, green vegetables - May be needed for reproduction - Helps to fight against diseases - sterility K Milk, butter, egg yolk, carrot, tomato, green vegetables - clotting of blood - prolonged bleeding

Minerals § Minerals are organic substances needed in our body in small amounts for healthy growth and development § Pure inorganic elements, found as either a single atom or in orderly arrays. § 16 minerals are essential for nutrition § Are not broken down and changed by the body. They leave the body as they entered it. Ca is still Ca and Fe is still Fe. § Too much or too little of a mineral may

Minerals Contd Mineral Source Function Deficiency Disease Calcium Cheese, milk. Eggs. green vegetables - strong bones and teeth - blood clotting - muscle and nerve activities - rickets - osteoporosis - prolonged bleeding - muscular cramps Sodium Tables salt, cheese, meat - maintains body fluids - proper functioning of nerves - muscular cramps Iron Meat, eggs, green vegetables - needed to form hemoglobin in - anemia red blood cells Iodine Seafood, iodised salt - needed to make hormones of - goitre (swelling of the thyroid glands gland in the neck) Phosphorus Eggs, meat, milk, cheese, vegetables - strong bones and teeth - muscle contraction - stores energy - rickets - weakness Meat. Nuts, bananas - maintains body fluids - proper functioning of nerves - regulation of heartbeat - weak muscle - paralysis Potassium

Fibre § Fibre is also known as roughage. § Fibre is made up of cellulose from plant cell walls. § Fibre CANNOT be digested in our body. § Fibre holds a lot of water so that our faeces remains soft and can pass from our body easily. § Fibre can prevents constipation.

Water § Water makes up 70% of our body. § Water is the main components of our blood and body fluids. § Water can dissolve a lot of other chemicals in our body and allows chemical to react. § Waste substances such as urea and salts are passed from our body in water. § Water helps us to regulate our body temperature.

Energy Yielding Nutrients § All energy the body needs for metabolic and physiological processes come from nutrients in food we eat. § Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins are organic molecules that can be broken down to provide energy. § Metabolism is the process by which nutrients are broken down to yield energy or rearranged into body structures. § This energy can be converted into mechanical,

Energy in food 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 kcalories 1 gram of protein = 4 kcalories 1 gram of fat = 9 kcalories Most foods contain some or all three of the energy containing nutrients in varying degrees. Ø Table sugar only contains one, sucrose. Ø Oil only contains fats. § Although alcohol contains 7 kcalories in one gram, it is NOT considered a nutrient. § §

Energy in the body § Through metabolism the body breaks the chemical bonds between atoms of nutrients and energy is released. § Energy can used to Ø build new compounds, Ø move the body or Ø escape as heat. § If more energy is taken in than needed, the body rearranges the nutrients into

Biotechnology: The Impact on Food and Nutrition

Introduction § Biotechnology promises to bring important changes in plant production. § It will affect all steps of the production chain, from agrochemical inputs and breeding to final food processing § Commercial applications of plant genetic engineering have not yet occurred. § At the present time, more traditional aspects of biotechnology such as tissue culture have had an important impact,

q Provision of seeds § Plant breeding has been enhanced considerably by in vitro development of improved varieties which are better adapted to a specific environment. § The application of tissue culture has several advantages, including: Ø the rapid reproduction and multiplication of cultivars; For example, using traditional methods for propagating potatoes, one tuber yields several kilograms of tubers after two years, while the same tuber can yield several thousand kilograms of tubers if tissueculture techniques are used Ø the production of healthy cultivars, free of viruses and pathogenic agents; Ø the rapid adaptation and selection of cultivars that are resistant to specific stress factors (for instance, salinity and acid soils);

Provision of seeds Contd Ø the availability of seed material throughout the year (rather than seeds which are subject to the seasonal cycle); Ø the possibilities to produce species that are difficult to reproduce or that reproduce and grow slowly; and Ø improved possibilities for the storage and transportation of germplasm.

q Reduced use of agrochemicals § Biotechnology can help reduce the need for agrochemicals which small farmers in developing countries often cannot afford. § A reduction in the use of agrochemicals implies fewer residues in the final product. § Worldwide, nitrogen-fixing bacteria are being used increasingly to inoculate the soil, thus allowing reduced inputs of fertilizer which is expensive § Bio-pesticides may help to reduce the use of

Increased production § Biotechnology can be used in many ways to achieve higher yields; for example Ø by improving flowering capacity Ø increasing photosynthesis and Ø the intake of nutritive elements. § In the long term, genetic engineering will also help to increase production of the most valuable components of specific crops. § Cassava and rice, for example, are the main sources of: calories for millions of people. Ø Genetic engineering can be used to modify the amino acid composition of plant proteins in order to increase the nutritional value of these staple crops. § Productivity increases may lead to lower prices.

Improved harvesting § The cloning of plants can help to reduce the workload necessary for harvesting. Ø When individual plants show more uniform characteristics, Ø grow at the same speed and Ø ripen at the same time, then Ø harvesting will be less laborious.

Improved storage § Food shortages would not exist in many countries if the problem of post-harvest losses could be solved. § Microbiological reactions by toxicogenic, infective and spoilage micro-organisms cause the greatest losses. § Biotechnology may contribute to solving these problems. Ø Genetic engineering may be used to remove plant components that cause early deterioration of the harvest. Ø For instance, a technique to reduce the presence of a normal tomato enzyme involved in the softening of ripe tomato fruit has been patented. The technique involves engineering plants with an antisense gene so that production of the enzyme is significantly reduced. Ø Antisense genes prevent the interpretation of a corresponding "messenger gene". Otherwise, production of a specific protein chain, an enzyme, for example, would be started. § Improved storage and better transport of food would increase the quantity of food available and § improve the possibilities for a more elaborate division of labour between different districts and regions.

Food processing § Since proteins and vitamins are often lost in traditional food processing, fermentation processes may offer a way to preserve them. § Biotechnology can be used for the upgrading of traditional food processing based on fermentation such as the procedures used to produce gari, a fermented, gritty and starchy food derived from cassava. § Biotechnology can also help to eliminate toxic components, either by genetic engineering or through food processing. § In addition to eliminating unwanted components, biotechnology can be used for the inexpensive production of additives that increase the nutritive value of the final product or that improve its flavour, texture or appearance.

Food Processing contd § Present-day applications of biotechnology in food processing are far more advanced than applications in the field of plant genetic engineering. § The genetic manipulation of micro-organisms used in food processing is considerably easier than the manipulation of more complex plants. § It is therefore intriguing that research centres primarily on plant genetic engineering, where there are still many obstacles to overcome,

Old and new obstacles § The potential of biotechnology for improving food and nutrition in developing countries is vast indeed. § The fact that such a capability exists, however, does not assure that it will be realized. § Long before the development of biotechnology, many new technologies with the potential to improve the world's food situation had been developed, yet many of

Old and new obstacles contd § Obstacles frequently stand in the way of the application of new technologies in the agriculture sectors of many developing countries. They include: § weak linkages between international and national research institutions; § poor communication between national research institutions and farmers; § a lack of support measures (credit schemes, regular provision of improved seeds, demonstration plots and marketing outlets); and § landholding structures which dampen the interest of landlords and tenants in introducing new technologies. § The same barriers that have prevented the acceptance of earlier waves of new technologies may also hinder the application of biotechnology, thereby preventing the realization of its full potential. § Furthermore, the rapid increase in the number of biotechnology inventions which constitute proprietary knowledge will make their diffusion to developing countries even more difficult.

Substitution effects § The uneven rate at which different regions in the world adopt the new technologies will lead to large shifts in international trade flows, with products from one country displacing those from other countries. These substitution processes take various forms: § export crops from developing countries can be replaced by the same crops grown in more temperate climates, as these crops can be made more resistant to colder weather; § export crops can be replaced by the products of other crops (for example, high -fructose corn syrup derived from maize has become a substitute for sugar produced from sugar cane while fats derived from whey are replacing cocoa butter); § export cropping can be replaced by "agricultural" production without soil; that is, by the industrial production of cell cultures in large fermentors (this is becoming the case for high-value, low-volume crops such as pharmaceutical plants as well as flavours and fragrances); § agricultural exports from some countries will be replaced because other countries will be faster in applying productivity-enhancing biotechnology and thus will become more competitive and will be able to obtain a larger market share. As a result, production of several crops will be concentrated on larger estates in fewer countries.

CONCLUSION § Biotechnology has tremendous potential for increasing food production and improving food processing although the real impact differs from country to country.

THANK YOU!