Invertase
What it does
Enzyme that keeps soft centres liquid.
How it's made
Produced by yeast fermentation.
Invertase is an enzyme used in confectionery to keep centres soft and to make liquid or fondant fillings — it splits ordinary sugar (sucrose) into its simpler components, glucose and fructose, which resist crystallising and stay syrupy. It is what gives soft-centred chocolates and fondant creams their runny middles.
It is produced by fermentation, most commonly using yeast (Saccharomyces species), which naturally makes invertase. The yeast is grown in large fermenters, and the enzyme is then recovered from the yeast cells and the fermentation broth, purified, and concentrated into a food-grade enzyme preparation.
The purified invertase is standardised for its activity and supplied as a liquid or powder. In use it is mixed into a sugar centre; over time, or with a little warmth, it gradually converts the solid sugar into a soft, non-crystallising syrup — a slow reaction that lets manufacturers make a firm sweet that softens inside its coating after packing.
Possible reactions
Generally safe.