What is Microbial Transglutaminase?

Transglutaminase is a wide-spread enzyme that catalyzes the acyl transfer reaction between (or within) proteins, which leads to covalent bond between proteins (or polypeptides). Our transglutaminase is a food grade enzyme obtained by one of the oldest natural processes, rather the fermentation of non-GMO bacteria (S. mobaraensis). Out microbial transglutaminase (mTGase) improves the quality of existing food products by allowing cost reductions, as well as allows the development and the launch on the market of new concept products. Transglutaminase is an enzyme that match the definition of “processing aid”, rather it explicates its action (technical aid) during the manufacturing process of foodstuffs. 

Ⅰ. The characteristics of microbial transglutaminase:

1. Effective at low dosages. According to the application, the specific production process and the technical result desired, our mTGase accomplishes its job of creating covalent bond among proteins and improve texture and structure of the food products, improving other aspects as water binding (therefore improved yield), reducing cooking and slicing losses, and finding its maximum expression of functionality in the “cold meat binding applications” (meat glue), where pieces of fresh meat can be bond together in chilled conditions to get a perfectly restructured meat products (such as meat steaks, medallions, bacon, etc.).

2. The pH stability is very good. The optimal pH of transglutaminase is between 6.0 – 7.0, but it keeps very good activity in the range of pH 5.0 to 8.0.

3. Active even in wide range of temperature, even in chilled conditions. mTGase is active above the freezing point and finds its optimum temperature condition between 45-55°C, while it starts to be thermally inactivated above 60°-65°C.

4. Safe to use. Transglutaminase is a wide-spread enzyme, ubiquitary in nature, and even present in animal tissues (such as meat), meaning that people has been eating foods containing e-(g-glutamyl)lysine isopeptide bonds catalyzed by transglutaminase since ever. We made extensive analysis and toxicological studies on our mTGase and all of them reported the safety of our enzyme.

Ⅱ. The use of microbial transglutaminase

The main function of microbial transglutaminase is to improve food texture, structure, and the overall quality of food products. It improves many important properties and technical aspects in production process, such as improves the production yields and the sliceability of food products, consequently reducing the slicing-losses.

Contact our team of experts to learn more about microbial transglutaminase and how to incorporate them into your food products at sales@aceingredients.com.