Enzyme activity is a measure of the functional strength of naturally occurring enzymes in a food product, used in trade to verify processing conditions such as adequate blanching in frozen vegetables or gentle thermal treatment in honey.
In trade practice
In honey, diastase activity is tested according to methods referenced in Codex Alimentarius honey standards and must meet the minimum level set in Council Directive 2001/110/EC; low activity can indicate overheating or adulteration. In frozen vegetables, peroxidase or catalase tests confirm that blanching was sufficient to inactivate enzymes that cause off-flavours and colour loss during frozen storage. Laboratories report results in standardised units specific to each enzyme, and suppliers should include enzyme activity results on certificates of analysis when specified. A common oversight is omitting the test method from the specification, making results from different laboratories incomparable.
In a specification
A specification states the minimum or maximum enzyme activity level, the enzyme tested, the unit of measurement and the analytical method, referencing the relevant Codex or ISO procedure where one exists.