Enzymes in nutrition, baby foods, and food safety

Enzymes play major roles in baby food manufacturing, ranging from enhancing the flavor, solubility, and digestibility of nutrients in baby foods. Enzymes have also been used to produce some functional ingredients that are added to baby foods. For instance, proteases are used for the in vitro digestion of milk protein for use in infant formulas. Lipases are used to produce pure concentrates of functional lipids such as omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to fortify baby foods. Pure DHA concentrates are often added to infant formulas because they have unique roles in infants’ brain and eye development. In addition, several enzymes have also been used to produce lactose-free foods for babies with lactose intolerance. Therefore, this chapter focuses on the use of enzymes to enhance the quality, safety, and nutritional properties of baby foods during production.