New opportunities are brewing for fermentation-derived proteins

How harnessing the power of bacteria can lead to next-generation alternative protein products

Superbrewed Food Postbiotic Cultured Protein and Beverage made with Postbiotic Cultured Protein. (IMAGE Credit: Sarah Schubel Photography)

You might say we are a little obsessed with fermentation at GFI, and it’s true — but with good reason!

The use of yeast fungi, bacteria, fungal mycelium, microalgae, and other microbes as a bioproduction platform has a long and rich history in food production. Companies use fermentation widely today to produce vitamins and supplements, flavorings, and rennet for cheese production. If you enjoyed bread from your local grocery, you’ve eaten food made possible by fermentation-derived enzymes that keep bread soft and fresh.

While some companies have been manufacturing fermentation-based products for decades, such as Quorn’s fungus-derived mycoprotein, recent technological advancements could enhance alternative protein products’ nutritional value, taste, and texture—all factors that are among the main barriers to consumer adoption.

The biomass fermentation industry, in particular, has seen a rapid diversification in microbial species, production methods, and consumer products. This has set the stage for fermentation-derived products to earn a wider presence in food formulations and on store shelves.

Untapped opportunities for bacterial biomass fermentation

One advancement that I’m keeping a close eye on is the use of bacterial biomass and single-cell protein ingredients to create next-generation alternative protein products that can offer enhanced sensory and nutritional properties in the final product. 

Bacteria have tremendous potential to diversify the microbes and bioprocesses that produce nutritious and functional protein for the food industry. Bacteria-derived proteins can be made to higher protein percentages and present different formulation opportunities for traditionally animal-based products.

One company harnessing the power of bacteria to make next-generation fermentation-derived alternative protein products is Delaware-based Superbrewed Food. Superbrewed Foods recently made news when The FDA granted the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status to their bacteria biomass protein after a thorough evaluation 

This is particularly exciting because previously, all of the fermentation-derived proteins that have gone through the U.S. FDA’s GRAS notification process and received a no-questions letter have been fungal or microalgal. That makes Superbrewed the first fermentation company to use bacteria as the backbone of its process to receive this regulatory designation! This milestone is a major step in paving the way toward increased adoption of bacterial biomass and single-cell protein ingredients by food and beverage brands.

Superbrewed also noted that they have filed applications for market authorization of their Postbiotic Cultured Protein as a “novel food” in the European Union, Great Britain, and Canada.

Bacteria’s untapped potential in food and beverage applications

Considered a “whole food ingredient” as opposed to a protein isolate, Superbrewed's Postbioitic Cultured Protein is over 85% protein with a high content of essential and branched-chain amino acids along with other beneficial minerals and vitamins, including iron, zinc, phosphorus, and B12. According to the company, it exhibits a neutral taste, minimal color, and temperature and pH stability, in food and beverage formulations, making it well-suited for a variety of products — particularly in dairy applications. 

Superbrewed struck a partnership with leading dairy company Bel Group in 2022 to develop a line of cheese products incorporating the ingredient and says it expects further partnerships within the food and beverage industry. They also partnered with ingredient manufacturer Döhler in February, who will help produce Superbrewed Food’s Postbiotic Protein ingredient on a larger scale.

Dig deeper

Beyond exploring the production formulation capabilities of bacterial biomass, Superbrewed is laying the foundation for a sustainable, cost-effective commercial production process by retrofitting existing bioethanol facilities and using carbon capture to remove off-gas CO2 from their fermentation processes. 

As our team identified in our 2023 Fermentation Manufacturing Capacity Analysis, repurposing existing infrastructure in parallel industries can be an economical approach to scaling up production and alleviating industry bottlenecks by reducing up-front capital expenditure (CAPEX) by more than 70 percent and shortening construction lead times. 

Superbrewed’s recent regulatory milestone combined with its sustainable production model is an exciting reminder of all the possibilities bacteria can offer the fermentation industry. I’m hopeful that this is the first in a wave of bacterial biomass and single-cell protein ingredient innovations. 

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