How precision fermentation is pioneering sustainable food?
In an era where sustainability is becoming a necessity rather than a choice, precision fermentation is an emerging technology in the food industry. This cutting-edge technology not only promises to revolutionize how we produce food but also tackles some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Here’s why precision fermentation is capturing the spotlight and how it’s setting the stage for a more sustainable future.
What is Precision Fermentation?
Precision fermentation is a process where microbes — bacteria, yeast, or fungi — are engineered to produce functional ingredients by inserting DNA sequences that encode for specific proteins or molecules. These microorganisms can be used to create proteins for meat substitutes, dairy-free milk and cheese, or essential enzymes. Some foods have very complex structures which can be hard to engineer – for example, the texture of meat is defined by a complex network of muscle proteins. Precision fermentation is therefore applied to produce proteins with less overall structure, such as dairy proteins like casein which has a random coil shape, or minced meat where the texture is no longer intact.
Why Now?
- Environmental Impact: Traditional agriculture, especially livestock farming, is a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and excessive water consumption. Precision fermentation offers a more sustainable alternative, with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water usage compared to conventional dairy production.
- Food Security: We face an increasing demand for food as the global population grows. Precision fermentation can help address this need by producing high-quality proteins and nutrients with reduced resource use. This enhances food system resilience, making precision fermentation an important component in the quest for global food security.
- Technological Advancements: Recent innovations have made precision fermentation more feasible and cost-effective. This has led to the recent approval of lab-grown meat for pet food in the UK – a significant step toward mainstream acceptance. Regulatory acceptance releases investments and, because of this, the technology is rapidly advancing, making it possible to create novel food products that cater to diverse dietary needs.
Our precision fermentation solutions to typical challenges
- Stability: Heating is a prevalent technique in food processing, particularly in cooking, and it significantly enhances the digestibility and nutritional value of plant proteins. This method employs thermal treatments to achieve sterilization, improve flavor and texture, enhance functional properties like emulsification, and eliminate undesirable compounds. However, thermal treatment can also have negative effects, such as the degradation of proteins and micronutrients, leading to changes in amino acid composition. Drying and extrusion are also common food processing methods that might require high temperatures. Therefore, maintaining thermal stability is essential in the development of alternative protein foods. The MicroCal PEAQ DSC is the gold standard for analyzing the structural stability of ingredients derived from precision fermentation. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) helps in determining optimal processing temperatures by providing insights into the predictable thermal behavior of protein samples, thereby ensuring that products retain their quality and efficacy throughout their shelf life.
- Particle Size: Particle size control is crucial in developing foods which are enjoyable to eat and have a consistent structure from batch to batch. For example, the texture of foods, a key component of perceived flavor and mouth feel, is closely related to particle size. Smaller particles contribute to a smoother texture and better digestibility. In contrast, large particles, greater than about 30 microns in size, can adversely affect texture, leading to a greasy taste. The Mastersizer 3000+ laser diffraction particle size analyzer is applied in food research and production to optimize and control the texture of foods and drinks. Particle size analysis is especially important for precision fermentation products, where the high cost of failure makes accurate particle sizing critical.
- Uniformity: Protein stability is vital in fermentation processes to avoid aggregation and yield loss. The Zetasizer Advance uses light scattering techniques to measure the zeta potential, particle size, and stability of proteins and other nanoparticles. This enables the detection of protein aggregation, aiding formulation optimization and process design. It can also help assess enzyme and flavor compound consistency. The OMNISEC system is applied to further characterize protein oligomers during product and process development, supporting efficient scale-up to manufacturing.
- Purity: Controlling elemental contamination and optimizing salt levels are critical for producing high-quality proteins. X-ray fluorescence effectively detects heavy metals and other ions at ppm levels, preventing protein unfolding and aggregation. Additionally, precise mineral addition, like calcium for dairy and iron for meat products, ensures nutritional and functional integrity. The Revontium XRF system is ideally suited for this task, offering accurate and reliable elemental analysis, essential for maintaining product safety and quality.
Malvern Panalytical: Your Partners in Discovery for Precision Fermentation
At Malvern Panalytical, we play a pivotal role in advancing precision fermentation. Our cutting-edge technology supports every phase of development, from optimizing processes to analyzing product stability and quality. With our solutions, you can assess particle size distributions, evaluate molecular structures, and ensure ingredient consistency, all while enhancing efficiency and maintaining high standards. With partners like Malvern Panalytical, the journey towards a sustainable and delicious future is well within reach.