Yeast Production Using Hop Acids for Microbial Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current yeast production methods face challenges such as contamination, economic inefficiency, and the need for extensive cleaning processes due to the presence of unwanted microorganisms, particularly in fed-batch fermentations, which can affect yeast quality and purity.
Innovation Solution
The use of natural processing aids, specifically hop acids or their derivatives, is introduced into the yeast production process to inhibit or reduce the activity of microorganisms, thereby reducing the need for expensive contamination control measures and simplifying the production process. These aids are added to the carbohydrate substrate before yeast culture addition and throughout the fermentation stages, particularly as tetrahydroiso-α-acids and beta-acids, to maintain effectiveness while minimizing taste impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fed-batch fermentation is used to produce yeast biomass, then productivity is improved, but microbial contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
Hop acids are added to the carbohydrate substrate before yeast inoculation to pre-establish an antimicrobial environment. This preliminary action prevents contamination before it can occur during the fed-batch fermentation process, allowing high productivity without compromising culture purity.
Solution Approach 2:
Hop acids serve as an intermediary substance that mediates between the yeast culture and unwanted microorganisms. The hop acids selectively inhibit unwanted microorganisms while allowing yeast to grow, enabling maintained productivity with improved reliability.
2Reliability
If extensive cleaning processes are implemented to prevent contamination, then yeast purity is improved, but device complexity and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hop acid treatment enables the system to self-protect against contamination. The antimicrobial properties of hop acids create a self-sustaining protective environment that reduces or eliminates the need for complex external cleaning interventions, simplifying operational procedures while maintaining yeast purity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If chemical antifoaming agents are used to control foam during fermentation, then process stability is improved, but product quality deteriorates due to taste impact
Solution Approach 1:
Hop acids are used as a temporary, naturally-degrading antifoaming agent that provides process stability during fermentation but does not persist in the final product. The hop acids perform their stabilizing function during the fermentation process and then become negligible, avoiding taste impact in the finished yeast product.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of hop acids changes the chemical parameters of the fermentation medium, providing antifoaming and antimicrobial effects. These parameter changes are transient and do not adversely affect the sensory properties of the final yeast product, maintaining manufacturing precision while achieving process stability.
Data Source
AI summary
The current invention relates to an improved process to produce yeast, in particular baking yeast, in which the yeast is brought in sufficient amounts into contact with a natural substance or an auxiliary processing agent derived from a natural substance in a process that suppresses or at least decreases the activity of the unwanted microorganisms during the technical production of budding and/or shipping yeast. For the sake of efficacy, the natural substance and the auxiliary processing agent derived from a natural substance should include at least one member of the group hop bitter acid, colophonium and myristic acid or derivatives thereof.