Food Biochemistry and Food Processing

3

Recent Advances in Food

Biotechnology Research

S. Jube and D. Borthakur*

35

Introduction

Bioengineered Plants

Essential Vitamins

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Vitamin E

Essential Minerals

Iron

Essential Amino Acids

Lysine

Methionine and Tyrosine

Essential Phytochemicals

Isoflavonoids

Bioengineered Animals

Modified Milk in Transgenic Dairy Cattle

Increased Muscle Growth in Cattle

Reduced Fat Content in Transgenic Swine

Transgenic Poultry: Egg as Bioreactor

Bioengineered Fish

Improving Fish Growth Rate

Increasing Antifreeze Property in Fish

Bioengineered Microorganisms

Elimination of Carcinogenic Compounds

Inhibition of Pathogenic Bacteria

Natural Sweetener Produced by Microorganisms

Production of Carotenoids in Microorganisms

Detection Methods in Food Biotechnology

Transgene Detection

Food Pathogen Detection

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Detection

Conclusion

References

INTRODUCTION

Modern biotechnology involves molecular tech-
niques that use whole or parts of living organisms to
produce or improve commercial products and pro-
cesses. It is a relatively new and rapidly evolving
branch of molecular biology, which started with the
creation of the first recombinant gene 30 years ago.
These techniques are, in many different ways,
changing the way we live by improving the foods we
eat, the beverages we drink, the clothes we wear,
and the medicines we take. They also have enhanced
other aspects of our lives through the development
of new detection methods for early diagnosis of
many diseases such as arteriosclerosis, cancer, dia-
betes, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. The application
of biotechnology methods in the food and agricul-
tural industry is one of the many aspects of biotech-
nology that has great impact on society. By the year
2050, it is expected that more than 10 billion people
will be living on this planet, and it is also believed
that there may not be enough resources to feed the
world population (UNFPA 1995). Hunger and mal-
nutrition already claim 24,000 lives a day in the de-
veloping countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin Amer-
ica (James 2003). Malnutrition, however, is not
exclusive to developing nations. Many people in
industrialized countries, although mostly well fed,
still suffer from lack of proper nourishment.
Biotechnology is the scientific field that offers the
greatest potential to stop hunger today and help
avoid mass starvation in the future. Through biotech-
*Corresponding contributor. nology, scientists can enhance a crop’s resistance to

Food Biochemistry and Food Processing

Edited by Y. H. Hui

Copyright © 2006 by Blackwell Publishing