Product Code Database
Zein ( ) is a class of prolamine protein found in maize. It is usually manufactured as a powder from corn gluten meal. Zein is one of the best understood plant proteins.Momany, Frank A.; Sessa, David J.; Lawton, John C.; Selling, Gordon W.; Hamaker, Sharon A. H.; and Willett, Julious L. "Structural Characterization of A-Zein" December 27, 2005, J. Agric. Food Chem. Pure zein is clear, odorless, tasteless, hard, water-insoluble, and edible, and it has a variety of industrial and food uses.Lawton, John W. " Zein: A History of Processing and Use ", November 1, 2002, American Association of Cereal Chemists
Zein's properties make it valuable in processed foods and pharmaceuticals, in competition with insect shellac. It is now used as a coating for candy, nuts, fruit, pills, and other encapsulated foods and drugs. In the United States, it may be labeled as "confectioner's glaze" (which may also refer to shellac-based glazes) and used as a coating on bakery products or as "vegetable protein." It is classified as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For pharmaceutical coating, zein is preferred over food shellac, since it is all natural and requires less testing per the USP monographs.
Zein can be further processed into and other bioplastic , which can be extruded or rolled into a variety of plastic products.Lee, Richard " Multiple-use Corn zein-based Biodegradable Resins, Sheets, and Films are an attractive alternative to plastic ", University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Lawton Jr., J.W. " Plasticizers for Zein:their Effect on Tensile Properties and Water Absorption of Zein Films " January 12, 2004, Cereal Chemistry. With increasing environmental concerns about synthetic coatings and the current higher prices of hydrocarbon-based petrochemicals, there is increased focus on zein as a raw material for a variety of nontoxic and renewable polymer applications, particularly in the paper industry.Jabar, Anthony Jr; Bilodeau, Michael A.; Neivandt, David J.; Spender, Jonathan " Barrier Compositions and Articles Produced with the Compositions ", December 29, 2005, United States Patent (pending) Other reasons for a renewed interest in zein include concern about the landfill costs of plastics, and consumer interest in natural substances. There are also a number of potential new food industry applications.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and at William Wrigley Jr. Company have recently been studying the possibility of using zein to replace some of the gum base in chewing gum.McGowan B.A., Padua G.W., and Lee S-Y. " Formulation of Corn Zein Chewing Gum and Evaluation of Sensory Properties by the Time-Intensity Method", September, 2005, Journal of Food Science. They are also studying medical applications such as using the zein molecule to "carry biocompounds to targeted sites in the human body".Picklesimer, Phyllis. " Nanotechnologist Plans to Build Things with Bricklike Corn Molecules ," University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There are a number of potential food safety applications that may be possible for zein-based packaging according to several researchers. A military contractor is researching the use of zein to protect MRE food packages.Bertrand, Kate, " Military packages put technology to the test," September 2005 Other packaging/food safety applications that have been researched include frozen foods,Padua, Graciela W., Rakotonirainy, Andrianaivo, and Wang, Qin " Zein-Based Biodegradable Packaging for Frozen Foods ", University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ready-to-eat chicken,Janes M.E.; Kooshesh S.; Johnson M.G. " Control of Listeria monocytogenes on the Surface of Refrigerated, Ready-to-eat Chicken Coated with Edible Zein Film " September, 2002, Journal of Food Science. and cheese and breaker eggs.Dawson, Paul " Packaging Films Fight Bacteria and Help the Environment " Clemson University Food researchers in Japan have noted the ability of the zein molecule to act as a water barrier.Qiangxian Wu, Hiroshi Sakabe and Seiichiro Isobe " Studies on the toughness and water resistance of zein-based polymers by modification" June, 2003, National Food Research Institute, Japan.
While there are numerous existing and potential uses for zein, the main barrier to greater commercial success has been its historic high cost until recently. Zein pricing is now very competitive with food shellac. Zein may be extracted as a byproduct in the manufacturing process for ethanolCore, Jim. " Corn Protein Could Reduce Ethanol Production Costs," April 15, 2002, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. or in new off-shore manufacture.
|
|
