ABSTRACT
Foods contain high amounts of macronutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, and extremely low amounts of flavor components, vitamins, antioxidants, etc. Qualitative and quantitative determination of these different components requires analytical techniques that are not only very specific and sensitive, but simple and affordable. Further, the food and beverage industries need rapid and cost-effective methods to determine compounds that have not previously been monitored and to replace existing ones. Although technological advancements in chromatography, electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, etc., have addressed the challenges in analysis of food ingredients, enzymes, by virtue of their specificity, relative sensitivity, and accurate determination of both macro-and micronutrients in foods, have become ideal and versatile candidates (Ashie 2012) for potential applications as analytical tools in food and beverages. Moreover, recent developments in biosensors with improved robustness and versatility has also led to a wide range of applications of enzymes as an analytical tool in several industries besides their use in clinical diagnoses. In this context, the role of enzymes as analytical tools for the analysis of food and beverage components with respect to food quality control, food safety, and monitoring of food processing is discussed in this chapter.
