Hydrolysis

A reaction in which a substance is split into two or more component parts by the action of water, in the presence of catalysts such as enzymes, acids, or alkalies, acting at specific points within the molecules. Types of hydrolysis include proteolysis, lipolysis, and the saccharification of starch. It is one of the most fundamental reactions in food science: starches hydrolyse to sugars, proteins to peptides and amino acids, fats to fatty acids and glycerol. Digestion, fermentation, and many processing steps — from brewing to cheese ripening — depend on controlled hydrolysis.