In a recent International Forum on Food Safety and Health 2022 held on 23 June by the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology, Angel Yeast unveiled its plan to vigorously promote the industrialisation of yeast protein in an effort to address the impact of the growing global food crisis on human population as well as on the animal husbandry sector.
Currently, Angel Yeast promotes its yeast protein globally for use in meal-replacement powder, drinks powder, sports nutrition supplements, as well as in other categories.
According to Qin Xianwu, Chief Quality Officer and Chief Engineer at Angel Yeast, “The global population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, and the gap between food supply and population growth will grow increasingly evident, with a projected protein deficit of 250 million tons by 2050. With the rapid deterioration of the global climate, we are seeing increased deforestation as people look to snap up more arable land, as well as growing demand for meat, which in turn is accelerating the consumption of cereal grains. This, along with greenhouse gas emissions from livestock, means that building a sustainable, high-quality protein supply model has become an urgent matter.”
Qin commented that Angel Yeast will push ahead with the industrialisation of yeast protein while developing sustainable and more efficient yeast alternative proteins to help the world cope with the next global food crisis. Yeast protein tech is predicted to become the primary means of protecting the Earth’s food supply in the future. It presents an alternative solution with advantages such as low resource consumption, high efficiency, environmental sustainability, and comprehensive nutritional value.
A sustainable, efficient, and green alternative protein source
Compared with animal protein, yeast protein has been found to be more environmentally friendly with reduced carbon emissions. A study published in the journal Nature found that annual deforestation and associated carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by half by replacing a mere 20% of beef production with yeast protein. At the same time, methane emissions would also be lowered. Compared to plant proteins, yeast-based alternatives require less arable land, and seasonal or climatic factors do not affect production efficiency. They also save on using pesticides or antibiotics, thereby avoiding the genetic modification issues associated with plant protein substitution. Yeast protein production is efficient. Some 1000kg of yeast, soybeans, and cows that are cultured for 24 hours can produce a protein yield of 2000kg, 10kg and 1kg showing the clear advantages of yeast protein.
Rich nutritional value
Compared with plant proteins, yeast-based alternatives are more nutritious. Qin added, “Yeast protein contains 8 essential amino acids that are full-valent proteins, while yeast protein is rich in lysine, typically the first limiting amino acid in plant protein. Research on yeast protein showed it can have a significantly positive effect on muscle building and regulation of intestinal microbes.”
Research and Applications
Angel currently carries out research on the selection and breeding of high protein yeast strains. This can contribute toward the company realising batch production of high purity yeast protein while successfully applying it in fields like condiments, meat products, plant-based meat, dairy beverages and nutritional foods.
Angel has also made good progress in developing technology for using yeast protein in vegetarian meat processing and vegetarian meat flavorings. The company has successfully used yeast protein to replace soy protein in vegetarian meat preparation. It can also help compensate for the lack of some essential amino acids (methionine and lysine) in vegetable proteins and improve the overall nutritional value of vegetarian meat products.
The company has built 12 yeast production lines at home and abroad to date, providing sufficient capacity to support yeast protein production. Angel boasts a production line with annual capacity of 10,000 tons of yeast protein, forming a closed-loop industry chain of “molasses, hydrolysed sugar – yeast – yeast protein – yeast fermentation liquid – fertiliser – crops.”
