Enzymatic detergents are in, chemical ingredients are out. Enzymes have a positive environmental impact because they can replace larger amounts of petrochemicalderived formulations, and their unique catalytic action makes enzymes particularly useful ingredients at low-temperature,” avers G.S. Krishnan, Regional President- India, Novozymes South Asia Pvt Ltd, during an interaction with Suprita Anupam.
Development & Applicability Enzyme applications in detergents began in the early 1930s with the use of pancreatic enzymes in presoak solutions. It was German scientist Otto Röhm who first patented the use of pancreatic enzymes in 1913. Thus, the foundation was laid already in 1913 for the commercial use of enzymes in detergents. Fifty years ago, it was common to boil clothes to remove starch stains. Now consumers can effectively remove stubborn stains in a cool wash. By replacing petroleumbased ingredients and other non-renewables with enzymes and microbial agents, manufacturers can give consumers high-performance cleaning solutions that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve water.
Today, enzymes are continually growing in importance for detergent formulators. Detergent manufacturers are required to supply products that provide better cleaning results with less effort, time and environmental impact. Enzymes can help manufacturers achieve superior technical performance and effectively banish stains of blood, banana, baby food and other sources that are traditionally very difficult to remove.
Enzymes can bring new powerful performance to detergents. Examples include enzymes that enable detergents to maintain the intense colour or whiteness of clothes or that snip away fuzz and pills to keep clothes looking fresh and new. This means that enzymatic technology can be actively used to bring new products to market and help manufacturers make exciting market claims to differentiate their products.
Enzymes are widely used in laundry and dishwashing detergents and the solutions which improve performance by enabling better stain removal, garment care and general wash. With lifestyle / food habits changing, modern consumer is much more demanding when it comes to the expectations one has from the detergent. This in turn can be addressed only by the incorporation of multienzyme solutions in the formulations and going forward one would expect most of the detergent formulations (if not all) would be enzymatic.
Consumption, efficiency and fabric life
The enzyme preparations like proteases, amylases, lipases and cellulases are considered as indispensable ingredients in these detergents. These components account for the major portion of the market for various cleaning applications. The cleaning ability of these formulations is mainly due to the synergistic action exhibited by the different detergent ingredients and the enzyme-preparations.
Now-a-days, the use of enzyme-based detergents in preferred over the conventional synthetic ones in view of their better cleaning properties. And as mentioned earlier, we believe that cold water washing will become the norm one day and that the degree of surfactant replacement will continue to increase.
By providing our customers attractive alternatives one traditional ingredients, we enable them to help steer the market toward greener detergents with fewer chemicals and high-performance household care solutions. The ultimate goal would be that enzymes are recognized as a seal of quality in the detergent business. Already, some manufacturers are promoting the use of enzymes on their packaging.
Novozymes’ readily biodegradable enzyme solutions for detergents are an alternative to traditional chemical ingredients, allowing manufacturers to produce laundry detergent that gives consumers cleaner, whiter, brighter and softer clothes. Our ‘Household Care’ offers a variety of enzymatic innovations that are an alternative to traditional laundry detergents. Our enzymes deliver powerful stain removal, whiteness (color) and fabric care benefits in an environment friendly manner and cleaning effectively at lower wash temperatures.
