Hydrolysis (Industrial)

The chemical breakdown of a large molecule (protein, starch, polysaccharide) into smaller components (amino acids, glucose, oligopeptides) using water — catalysed by acids, alkalis, or enzymes. In the nutraceutical industry, hydrolysis is used to produce: hydrolysed vegetable protein (HVP) from plant protein; collagen peptides from native collagen; maltodextrin from starch; and whey protein hydrolysates from whey protein. The method of hydrolysis (acid vs enzymatic) affects the flavour profile, degree of hydrolysis, and potential contaminant formation (e.g. 3-MCPD in acid-hydrolysed proteins).