Fermentation technology is no stranger to the food processing sector and several food products in the past have been developed by employing fermentation technology.  The smart or alt protein sector is another area where fermentation finds extensive application and is utilised primarily in three different ways: -

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Traditional fermentation: In this setup, micro-organisms are utilised to ferment and process plant derived raw materials in order to impart a characteristic flavour, taste and texture. Fermentation of soybean to produce Tempeh using a fungal species called Rhizopus is a good example. A more recent example is MycoTechnology’s fermentation of plant-based proteins to improve flavor and functionality. The quality of end product in fermentation is often determined by the physical and biochemical factors affecting fermentation and hence optimization of the process involves controlling fermentation parameters.

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Biomass fermentation: Unlike traditional fermentation where the raw material is generally plant derived, in case of biomass fermentation the microbial biomass itself serves as the main ingredient. Selected micro-organisms grown in fermentation tanks or bioreactors efficiently produce large amounts of protein and the resultant biomass is used either directly or after minimal processing steps. An example of biomass fermentation is the use of filamentous fungi as a base for Quorn’s meat analogs.

Precision fermentation: This process is used for production of specific microbe derived ingredients which are typically added to the primary protein mix in order to impart characteristic functionality to the final meat analogue. In precision fermentation, the micro-organism which produces the required ingredient is cultivated and then via downstream processing, the ingredient is isolated and purified for further use. The Impossible Burger, for instance, created a plant-based heme molecule that permits their burgers to bleed a bit as an animal-based burger would. Impossible’s heme is made through fermenting yeast that has been engineered to supply the molecule.

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For further reading, refer to the state of industry report: fermentation by GFI