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Food Biotechnology is a branch of food science in which modern biotechnological techniques are applied. Food biotechnology has been around for many centuries, as people in the past have crossbred similar plants and animal species in order to develop new varieties of food. Different biotechnological processes used to create and improve new food and beverage products include the fermentation, food additives, plant and animal cultures, and genetically modified food. The microorganisms involved with these processes usually include bacteria, yeast, algae and molds.

History

See also: History of biotechnology

The use of food biotechnology dates back to thousands of years ago to the time of the Sumerians and Babylonians. These groups of people used yeast to make fermented beverages such as beer. The use of plant enzymes such as malts were also used many millennia ago, before there was even an understanding of enzymes. Further advancement in food biotechnology occurred with the invention of the microscope by Anton van Leeuwenhoek, which allowed for humans to discover microorganisms which would then be used in food production. Furthermore, food biotechnology was advanced in 1871 when Louis Pasteur discovered that heating juices to a certain temperature would kill off bad bacteria which would affect wine and fermentation. This process was then applied to milk production, heating milk to a certain temperature to improve food hygiene.

Food science and food biotechnology was then progressed to include the discovery of enzymes and their role in fermentation and digestion of foods. With this discovery, further technological development of enzymes emerged. Typical industrial enzymes used plant and animal extracts, but this was later substituted by microbial enzymes. An example of this would be the use of chymosin in the production of cheese; cheese was typically made using the enzyme rennet which would be extracted from the stomach lining of the cow. Scientists then started using a recombinant chymosin in order for milk clotting, resulting in cheese curds. Food enzyme production using microbial enzymes was the first application of Genetically modified organisms. Food Biotechnology has grown to include cloning of plants and animals, as well as more development in genetically modified foods in more recent years.

Timeline

Much biotechnological advancement has happened over centuries which have a major impact on what food biotechnology is today, starting with 6000 BC:

• 6000 BC --> Yeast is used to make Beer by Sumerians and Babylonians
• 4000 BC --> The Egyptians discover how to utilize yeast to make bread while the Chinese discover how to make yoghurt, cheese, vinegar, soy sauce and wine with lactic acid bacteria, molds, and fermentation respectively.
• 1300 AD --> Algae from lakes is discovered as a food source by Aztecs
• 1673 --> Francesco Redi discovers why maggots appear on rotting meat
• 1724 --> Anton van Leeuwenhoek makes discoveries in microbiology with the use of the microscope
• 1852 --> cross-fertilization in corn is discovered
• 1871 --> Louis Pasteur discovers pasteurisation; Ernst Hoppe-Seyler discovers an enzyme called invertase which is used to make sweeteners
• 1935 --> Andrei Nikolaevitch Belozersky isolates pure DNA for the first time
• 1953 --> James Watson and Francis Crick discover double helix structure of DNA
• 1962 --> High-yield wheat varieties are planted in Mexico
• 1973 --> A recombinant organism is created for first time by transferring viral DNA into a bacterium
• 1980 --> Patent to produce human insulin from genetically modified bacteria is granted
• 1982 --> Steven Lindow wants to control frost damage in potatoes and strawberries using genetically engineered bacteria
• 1986 --> A genetically modified tobacco plant that is resistant to viruses
• 1987 --> Calgene Inc. receives a patent that will allow them to produce a tomato with an extended shelf life, while another company works on trying to use a recombinant organism to inhibit frost on strawberry patches in the US; A genetically modified bacteria is tested on almond seedlings to see if the plant is protected from crown gall; potatoes are modified with a gene to produce more protein and therefore increase nutritional value.
• 1990 --> modified enzyme for cheese production is approved for use in the US while modified yeast is approved for use in the UK.
• 1994 --> FlavrSavr tomato is approved by FDA
• 2000 --> Australia’s first cloned cows are produced
• 2001 --> gene from Arabidopsis is inserted into tomato plants. This gene will allow for tomato crops to grow in salty water and soil
• 2002 --> DNA of rice is sequenced
• 2003 --> UK approves GM herbicide-resistant corn used for cattle feed; first GM rootworm-resistant corn is approved in US; an endangered species of cattle called the banteng is cloned for first time in the USA; biotech decaffeinated coffee bean is developed in Japan
• 2004 --> GM canola in Australia has moratoria placed on it due to consumer concerns; gene mapping is used in Australia to identify genes for tenderness and toughness in beef
• 2005 --> Germany approves first GM crops; GM drought-resistant tomatoes, salt-tolerant oats, and high-calcium potatoes are tested in the US
• 2006- 2011 --> Many different advancements in food biotechnology are discovered – more GM crops are approved for use, as well as cloning of animals for meat is deemed safe for consumption.

Applications

• Fermentation - This is one the very first applications of food biotechnology and contains several different types, which utilizes bacteria to digest certain carbohydrate sources and produce alcohol, acid, carbon dioxide, and amino acids/peptides. The use of fermentation can generate numerous food products such as wine, beer, cheese, bread, and yoghurt.
• Genetically Modified Food - this application of food biotechnology is when a gene from one species is transferred into another species. Oftentimes, the gene will have a trait that is desirable to another food species, such as a longer shelf life or preventing diseases which may be common.
• Cloning of Plants and Animals - with advances in technology, this is one of the newer applications of food biotechnology. There are two different methods in which this can be completed.

One method splits the embryo in the early stages of development. Genetically identical embryos develop from this method, and then are implanted into a host mother. This method has been proved to be successful in cloning animals. Another method of cloning involves replacing the nucleus of an embryo with another nucleus from the donor animal. The new cell is exposed to stimulants which will make it grow and divide until it reaches the blastomere phase. It can then be implanted into a host mother and develop into a whole organism. This method was used to create Dolly the sheep. Along with genetically modified organisms, cloning has caused some debate. See also cloning.

Controversial Issues

The use of food biotechnology has sprouted some controversy on whether or not the food produced from such techniques is safe for consumption. Most of the controversy lies within the realm of transgenic foods, or Genetically Modified foods (GMO). Long term health and environmental effects are two major causes for concern when it comes to transgenic foods. While scientists will claim these foods to be beneficial to consumers, there is still some uncertainty. Extensive testing and research over the benefits of genetically modified food should continue. There is also some controversy over trading with other countries. North America is mostly responsible for using food biotechnology to create and improve food products.

Benefits

There are many different benefits to the practice of food biotechnology which include

• Environmental factors – with new advances in biotechnology, such as tomatoes which may be resistant to pests, the use of pesticides decreases.
• Improved nutrition – scientists can use the technology to create new foods fortified with various vitamins and minerals. i.e. golden rice which provides rice rich in vitamin A to those in the developing world
• Feeding the hungry – with the population of Earth rising steadily, there is more demand for food. Biotechnological advances helps to produce more food in order to meet this demand.
• Savings – with less money being spent on herbicides and pesticides, more money can be saved while purchasing foods.

References

1. ^ Lee, B. H. (1996). Fundamentals of food biotechnology. Montreal, QC: Wiley-VCH.
2. Food Insight (2009). Background on Food Biotechnology. Retrieved from http://www.foodinsight.org/Resources/Detail.aspx?topic=Background_on_Food_Biotechnology
3. Shetty, K., Paliyath, G., Pometto, A., & Levin, R.E. (2006). Food biotechnology (2nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press
4. ^ Biotechnology Online (2009). A food biotechnology timeline. Retrieved from http://www.biotechnologyonline.gov.au/foodag/timeline.html
5. ^ Campbell-Platt,G. (2009). Food Science and technology. Ames, IA: Blackwell
6. ^ Elderidge, S. (2003). Food biotechnology: current issues and perspectives. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science
7. ^ Biotechnology Online. (2009). Cloning animals. Retrieved from http://www.biotechnologyonline.gov.au/biotec/cloneanimal.html
8. ^ Global Trade Negotiations. (2004). Biotechnology summary. Retrieved from http://www.cid.harvard.edu/cidtrade/issues/biotechnology.html
9. ^ National Food Processors Association (n.d.). What is food biotechnology?. Retrieved from http://www.isa.utl.pt/daiat/INT-EngAlimentar/trabalhos%20alunos/trabalho%205%20tema%20proposto/temas%20e%20bibliografia/alimenta%E7%E3o%20e%20biotecnologia/faqFoodBiotechnology%5B1%5D.pdf

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