These five new patent grants and allowances for the ARY, developed by bioengineering company Renaissance BioScience Corp, joined previously issued patents from the US, Japan, Indonesia, Chile and Colombia, with patents pending in multiple additional markets.
Developed using ‘adaptive evolution engineering techniques’, the ARY – when added during the standard manufacturing processing stage – begins to consume asparagine and reduces the potential for acrylamide formation when the mixture is later cooked above 120°C (248°F).
Protected use
Commenting on the newly granted patents, Renaissance BioScience chief executive and chief science officer John Husnik, said: “These new patents join those already granted or pending in other major markets around the world, to protect the use of our acrylamide-reducing yeast in many different and important food manufacturing applications.”
He added: “Acrylamide is a carcinogen of global concern—especially for children, who tend to consume more than adults due to their daily diet of many common foods that unfortunately contain this carcinogen (crackers, bread, cookies, cereals and the like).
Global acceptance
“We are especially pleased that our acrylamide-reducing yeast is finding acceptance and being commercialized by food manufacturers in markets all around the world with a mandate to reduce the presence of this contaminant in their products.”
Last year saw scientists from the University of Bristol use genome editing to reduce levels of acrylamide found in baked and toasted wheat-based foods.
Project leader Professor Nigel Halford said it was the first such trial of genome edited wheat to be carried out in Europe and emphasized it was essential to test the wheat in field trials to see how it performs, not only in terms of asparagine concentration but also yield, protein content and other quality and agronomic traits.
