Amylase Activity in Sterile Spoiled Pudding

Ultrahigh temperature sterilized canned puddings occasionally exhibit spoilage in the form of a dramatic loss of viscosity or thinning. Studies on a concentrated fraction of spoiled pudding indicate that thinning was due to a heat‐resistant amylase. The concentrate was obtained by centrifugation and ultrafiltration of the thinned pudding. Ultrafiltration characteristics of the active agent indicate a molecular weight of 1–30 × 10 4 daltons. The agent attacked starch with a decrease in iodine‐binding capability and an increase in reducing units. Treatment of the concentrate with proteolytic enzymes decreased enzymatic activity by 50%; treatment with sodium ethylene diaminetetraacetate decreased activity by 80%. The levels of starch and pH of the spoiled puddings were suitable for action of the amylase, and the enzyme was quite active at normal and elevated room temperatures.