Bromelain meat, tenderizing

Three other plant enzymes, papain, bromelain, and to a lesser extent ficin, have found acceptance in the food industry as proteases. Papain is derived from the latex of the fruit, leaves, and trunk of Carica papaya, and bromelain from the fruit and stems of pineapple plants. These enzymes are used to prevent the hazing of beer when chilled (Chill-Proofing) by modifying the protein. Other applications for these plant proteases are in meat tenderizers and digestive aids. Ficin from the latex of Ficus carica is used to a much lower extent, perhaps because of its marked action on native protein and difficult handling. Proteases from Aspergillus Jlavus-oryzae, and to a lesser extent from Bacillus subtilis, have been used to replace and supplement these plant proteases in all applications, but papain continues to have the widest acceptance. 

Products and Uses Bromelain, a pineapple plant enzyme used as meat tenderizer. 

Bromelain The purified proteolytic substance derived from the pineapples Ananas comosus and Ananas bracteatus L. (Fam. Bromeliaceae). Produced as a white to light tan, amorphous powder soluble in water (the solution is usually colorless to light yellow and somewhat opalescent), but practically insoluble in alcohol, in chloroform, and in ether. Major active principle bromelain. Typical applications used in the chillproofing of beer, in the tenderizing of meat, in the preparation of precooked cereals, in the production of protein hydrolysates, and in baking. 

Meat packing Tenderizers protease papain, bromelain fungal 7,10... 

Some cuts of meat are more tender than others. Meat is mostly protein, indeed a rather complex set of proteins with defined structure(s). The major meat proteins responsible for tenderness are the myofibrillar proteins and the connective tissue proteins. Protease enzymes are used to modify these proteins. In fact, proteases like papain and bromelain have been used to tenderize tougher cuts of meat for many years. This can be a difficult process to control since there is a fine line between tender and mushy meat. To improve this process, more specific proteases have also been introduced to make the tenderizing process more robust. ... 

Plant enzyme preparations (ficin, papain, bromelain) are used to tenderize meat. These substances are either sprayed onto the meat cuts or are distributed via the blood vessels of the animal either shortly before or after slaughtering. 

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