Multi-enzyme system for functional, low-bitterness egg hydrolysates
Nutralase is a precision multi-enzyme hydrolysis system that improves egg protein solubility and viscosity while avoiding the bitterness typical of standard single-protease processing. Validated on plant proteins and in preliminary egg white trials, it targets over 15% solubility gains with lower sensory bitterness for applications such as ready-to-drink beverages.
Overview
Alcheme Bio's Nutralase platform is a precision multi-enzyme hydrolysis system that decouples the functionality and taste trade-offs of standard single-protease processing. Conventional egg protein hydrolysis requires a high degree of hydrolysis to improve solubility and viscosity, which usually introduces bitterness and degrades gelation, foaming, and emulsification. Nutralase instead uses selective, complementary enzyme activities to improve functional properties while keeping bitterness low. The system has been validated on plant proteins and, in preliminary work on a commercial egg white protein product, increased solubility and reduced viscosity without introducing bitterness.
Technical specifications
Key features:
- Multi-enzyme system using selective, complementary protease activities rather than indiscriminate proteolysis
- Optimizable enzyme selection, dose, pH, and temperature for target protein substrates
- Degree of hydrolysis measured by ninhydrin assay
- Blinded sensory panel scoring for bitterness
- Benchmarking against single-enzyme hydrolysis on solubility, viscosity, heat stability, gelation, foaming, and emulsification
The complementary-enzyme mechanism is protein-source-independent, giving a credible basis for extending the platform from plant to egg protein. Performance targets include at least a 15% improvement in solubility versus a single-protease baseline, with lower bitterness confirmed by sensory scoring. Application-format testing, such as in ready-to-drink beverages, confirms performance under realistic conditions.
Technology readiness level
The technology has completed preliminary validation on a commercial egg white protein product, demonstrating increased solubility and reduced viscosity with no increase in bitterness. A nine-month phased feasibility program is proposed to further validate the system: baseline single-protease hydrolysis mapping, multi-enzyme optimization against the 15% solubility target, head-to-head comparison with single-enzyme treatment, and application-format testing. Progress is tracked against solubility and sensory targets at each phase.
About Alcheme Bio
Alcheme Bio is a biotechnology company that has developed a proprietary platform called Cellular Flavoring, which uses artificial intelligence and enzyme precision to optimize the flavor and nutritional profiles of alternative proteins. By mapping the biochemical connections between food composition and taste, the company creates clean-label, patent-pending enzyme blends and supplements that naturally eliminate off-flavors, such as bitterness or beaniness, in plant-based and cultivated food products. Its technology is designed to be cost-efficient and scalable, enabling manufacturers to enhance the functional qualities of their products without relying on artificial additives or traditional flavor masking.
The company serves the plant-based, cultivated meat, and precision fermentation industries, helping partners accelerate product development and increase consumer adoption by overcoming taste and texture barriers. Alcheme Bio offers flavor gap analysis and bioengineered flavor supplements, which integrate into existing production workflows. By enabling high-performance alternatives, the company addresses the challenge of making sustainable foods appealing to consumers. The firm has engaged with various food manufacturers and researchers through pilot programs and letters of intent, and has received recognition for its innovation in the food technology sector, including awards from the FoodTech Innovation Awards and the Basque Culinary Center.
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