Kemin Industries, a global ingredient manufacturer based in Des Moines, announced that its Kemin Biofuels division has begun customer trials of a new low-dose enzyme aimed at reducing production costs for biofuels producers. The new product, ZyloZyme AA, is a product that’s used in the fermentation process and has shown to be as effective as conventional enzymes at 60% smaller doses. The specialized enzyme will enable ethanol plants to fine-tune the amount of amylase used to break down starch, reduce viscosity and improve production output, the company said in a press release. The low dose allows flexibility for ethanol plants to optimize their product with a cost-effective alpha-amylase, thereby reducing operating costs. “We are encouraged by the outcome of this study and the positive results of using ZyloZyme AA in ethanol production,” said Brandon Lewis, senior technical services manager with Kemin Biofuels.