Delivering sustainable cleaning in laundry by enzyme engineering

Abstract: Enzyme use in detergents is well-established in the detergent industry. At low inclusion levels, enzymes offer a sustainable cleaning solution due to their bio-catalytic nature. Enzymes are also produced from renewable feedstocks by means of fermentation. However, enzymes can be affected by the liquid detergent matrix that lead to destabilization and drop in performance. Common destabilizing factors include high water content, anionic surfactant like linear alkylbenzene sulfonate and strong chelators. Formulators use additional stabilizers to ensure enzyme stability in liquid detergents. These stabilizers can add additonal formulation costs and complexity. Commonly used enzyme stabilizers based on boron are under increasing regulatory scrutiny.
Advances in protein engineering by IFF Health & Biosciences support the development of next generation enzymes for liquid detergents, specifically designed to minimize the need for additional chemical stabilzers even in multi-enzyme systems. Partnering with the formulating expertises of Essential Ingredients this approach will be demonstrated in North American detergents. The ASTM D4265 method is used by many detergent manufacturers to evaluate stain removal performance. Additional methods for screening enzyme stability and performance in laundry liquid detergents will be covered in this presentation.