You want predictable processing and high yields in yeast extract production. You also want to keep your yeast extract production cost as low as possible. All while getting unique new flavor profiles that consumers will love. So how can you achieve all these? The answers are inside the yeast, waiting to be found.
Enzymes are highly specific, so by choosing the right blend of our enzymes you can achieve far more control over your process.
With more free amino nitrogen (FAN) you can achieve unique new umami and kokumi flavor profiles. Our broad portfolio of proteases complements endogenous yeast enzymes to release more FAN.
Our enzymes speed up production time so you can increase your capacity.
By enabling faster production, our enzymes help lower your production costs.
Endogenous yeast enzymes and our enzymes work together to give you higher yields with a higher dry matter content.
Yeast extract production is a four-step process. In fermentation, the fresh yeast is placed in tanks. It's given some form of sugar as nourishment, a controlled temperature of around 30°C / 86°F and oxygen. Under these conditions, it grows and multiplies, eventually becoming yeast cream. As the name suggests, this is a creamy substance, with 15-20% dry solids.
In the next step - breakage - the yeast cream is heated to 45-55°C/113-131°F for around one hour. With this mild heat, the cell walls partially disintegrate. The yeast's naturally-occurring enzymes also break proteins down into simpler compounds. These smaller molecules can pass through the ruptured cell walls and mix with the solution in the tank. You may also choose to heat the cream to 90°C/194°F. This heat treatment inactivates the yeast's naturally-occurring enzymes. The extraction process then benefits from the highly-controlled action of exogenous enzymes. Breakage results in a liquid that already tastes like a bouillon.
The next step is enzyme addition, where the enzyme and liquid are incubated together for up to 24 hours. The enzyme you choose will depend on the properties you want in your final products and cost-in-use in your process. Following incubation, raising the temperature to 90°C/194°F for 10 minutes will inactivate the enzymes.
The final step is separation. The goal of this step is to separate valuable proteins, amino acids, vitamins and minerals from the cell walls. What's left after separation is the end products, consisting of yeast cell walls and yeast extract.
As a flavoring, a little yeast extract goes a long way. So with a protein content of around 60%, it can't meet recommended protein allowances. But it can support a protein-rich diet by complementing other protein intake. It's a natural flavoring that's been a food ingredient since the beginning of the last century.
The components of yeast extract are the components of the yeast cell, minus the wall. So yeast extract is made up of proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. At around 60%, protein is the largest component, followed by carbohydrates at around 25%. The remaining components include nitrogen, minerals and lipids.
Your customers aim to make plant-based foods and drinks that consumers love. To make sure your ingredients support that goal, you need to find answers to a range of complex questions. Fortunately, the answers are inside the plants, waiting to be found.
