DuPont’s Brazilian team leads research receiving patent registration in 75 countries
The enzyme helps mills improve process efficiency and profitability. The patent received an invention classification, meaning the product derived is a totally new creation.
“For the first time, at DuPont Nutrition & Health, a patent was led by a Brazilian research team,” said Eduardo Pimentel, DuPont Nutrition & Health's innovation leader who was responsible for the enzyme’s development. “The process for registering a global patent requires extensive research work, which also involved the global team of scientists. This project began in 2008, when an idea arose from the team at DuPont Nutrition & Health Brazil to work on a real mill problem.”
Benefits
The PowerMill enzyme impacts the entire production chain: from the raw material to the final consumer, said the company in a press release. The enzyme is an alternative for improving the efficiency of wheat processing, allowing mills to increase productivity, the quality of flour and the reduction of important costs.
The product has been tested on wheat grains all over the world and on all types of wheat, known in the industry as “soft,” “hard” and “semi-hard”. During the test phase, a reduction of the cost mainly in reference to electric energy and reduction of investments in silos, was verified by reducing the rest time of the wheat before the process of milling. Perhaps the most impressive benefit among the enzyme’s applications is that it leads to a higher production of white flour and lower quantity of pigments, which is highly valued by consumers and manufacturers of breads, pastas and cakes.
“Enzymes provide numerous opportunities for innovation and are a huge, expanding segment,” said Deia Vilela, regional director of food enzymes at DuPont Nutrition & Health. “The PowerMill enzyme is a product that has pioneered a very important segment in the food industry that is lacking in novelties: the milling market. This patent recognizes the innovation that DuPont Nutrition & Health delivers to its customers.”
