Novozymes Receives EPA Presidential Green Chemistry Award 2005

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will present Novozymes, an Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) company with a 2005 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for employing enzymes to develop healthier fats and oils for use in margarine, baking and confectionery.

FRANKLINTON, North Carolina — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will present Novozymes, an Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) company with a 2005 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for employing enzymes to develop healthier fats and oils for use in margarine, baking and confectionery. Thomas Nagy, president of Novozymes North America, will accept the award during a ceremony held today at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington. This is the second Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award presented directly to Novozymes in the past four years.


According to Hans Christian Holm of the Novozymes Oils and Fats team, Danish legislation banning trans fatty acids from food products and impending changes to the Nutritional Labeling Education Act that will require the labeling of trans fats on all nutritional fact panels by January 1, 2006, in the U.S. have food manufacturers looking for solutions to reduce the amount of trans fats in their products.


"Novozymes sees a huge global interest for our process for production of margarines and shortenings free of trans fatty acids," added Holmes.


The ADM/Novozymes proces uses an enzyme as an alternative to the conventional chemical hydrogenation, which produces large amounts of trans fats. The bio-based method reduces the environmental impact of margarine production while delivering a healthier oil for human consumption free of trans fatty acids.


"It is a great honor and motivation to receive this year's green chemistry award. It ushers in a new era for Novozymes and for the world where we start to use biotechnology for more sophisticated applications with wide-ranging impact such as healthier foods. It also underlies our company's commitment to use biological solutions to create the necessary balance between better business, cleaner environment and better lives," said Nagy.


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The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards Program is an opportunity for individuals, groups and organizations to compete for annual awards in recognition of innovations in cleaner, cheaper, smarter chemistry. The program provides national recognition of outstanding chemical technologies that incorporate the principles of green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture, and use, and that have been or can be utilized by industry in achieving their pollution-prevention goals.


Background:


Trans fatty acids can lead to increased serum levels of LDL cholesterol or "bad" cholesterol. When too much "bad" cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain, resulting in atherosclerosis. Trans fatty acids can also lead to decreased levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol because a high level of it seems to protect against heart attack. The presence of both high LDL and low HDL levels in the blood stream are strong indicators for heart disease.


Replacing partially hydrogenated oils with interesterified products can have a positive impact on American public health by reducing trans fatty acids and increasing poly-unsaturated fatty acids in the American diet. The FDA has previously estimated that listing trans fat on food labels would save between 2,000 and 5,600 lives per year as people either choose healthier foods or manufacturers improve their recipes to eliminate trans fat.


Another benefit of the process is the increase of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the human diet. Originally, shortenings were made from animal fats such as lard and tallow. Switching from butter and original shortenings to partially hydrogenated oil (a product of chemical processes) reduces saturates and cholesterol in the human diet. However, it also reduces polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are naturally rich in liquid vegetable oils, from the human diet. Various foods made from enzymatic interesterified oils are a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential nutrients, currently limited in the American diet.


Environmental benefits


One of the unique benefits of this process is that it does not require the use of sodium methoxide, a highly flammable and reactive chemical. Instead, the enzymatic interesterification process uses no harsh chemicals. Further, the process generates no waste water or solid waste and reduces the loss of edible oils. Oils are processed in milder conditions so that nutrients in oil are better preserved.


Novozymes is a biotech company specializing in enzymes and microorganisms. Headquartered in Denmark, Novozymes employs more than 4,000 people in 30 countries. The company is a subsidiary of giant US food company Archer Daniels Midland, which has more than 26,000 employees and saw revenue of more than $36 billion. For more information, visit Novozymes on the Internet at www.novozymes.com. Source: PRNewswire, Novozymes, Hoover's