Regarding the production process, a distinction can be made between acid-hydrolyzed vegetable protein (aHVP), enzymatically produced HVP, and other seasonings, e.g., fermented soy sauce.
The origins of producing these materials through the acid hydrolysis of protein (aHVP) can be traced back to the scarcity and economic challenges of obtaining meat extracts during the Napoleonic wars.
The remaining acid is then neutralized by mixing with an alkali such as sodium hydroxide, which leaves behind table salt, which comprises up to 20% of the final product (acid-hydrolyzed vegetable protein, aHVP).
During hydrolysis, extraneous polymeric material known as humin, which forms from the interaction of carbohydrate and protein fragments, is generated and subsequently removed by filtration and then further refined.
In many commercial processes, nonpolar amino acids such as L-leucine and L-isoleucine are often removed to create hydrolysates with a more mellow and less bitter character.
D-tryptophan, D-histidine, D-phenylalanine, D-tyrosine, D-leucine, L-alanine, and glycine are known to be sweet, while bitterness is associated with L-tryptophan, L-phenylalanine, L-tyrosine, and L-leucine.
[14][better source needed] Lysine is stable under standard acid hydrolysis, but during heat treatment, the side-chain amino group can react with other compounds, such as reducing sugars, producing Maillard products.
[16] A complex mix of aromas similar to butter, meat,[17][16] bone stock,[16] wood smoke,[18] lovage[19] and many other substances can be produced, depending on reaction conditions (time, temperature, hydrolysis method, additional feedstock such as xylose and spices).
[16][20] According to the European Code of Practice for Bouillons and Consommés, hydrolyzed protein products intended for retail sale correspond to these characteristics:[21] When foods are produced by canning, freezing, or drying, some flavor loss is almost inevitable.
[7] Therefore, HVP is used in a wide variety of products, such as in the spice, meat, fish, fine-food, snack, flavor, and soup industries.
According to European law, wheat and soy are subject to allergen labelling in terms of Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 on food information to consumers.
[25] Newer regulations for cosmetic hydrolyzed wheat protein have been developed in response, requiring an average molecular mass of less than 3500 Da – about 35 residues long.
Alcalase is also unable to make white beans non-reactive due to the antinutritional factors preventing complete digestion.
[26] Alcalase, but not "Flavourzyme" (a commercial Aspergillus oryzae protease blend[12] for eHVP production), is able to make roasted peanut non-reactive.