Precision Fermentation Adds Value To The Food Chain

Precision Fermentation Adds Value To The Food Chain In simple terms, precision fermentation is the modification of bacteria or fungi to produce specific molecules, explains Dr. Pooba Ganeshan, Principal Scientist of Fermentation and Bioengineering at the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre Inc. “The bacteria or fungi themselves aren’t consumed, but the product produced by them after modification can be purified and used as food or food ingredients,” Dr. Ganeshan says. “In essence, the bacteria or fungi work like ‘microbial cell factories’ to produce molecules of interest. The molecules themselves aren’t different from those produced naturally. They’re just being produced more efficiently and rapidly in large tanks (fermenters) where the bacteria and fungi grow to produce the desired product, which is then extracted and purified.” The Food Centre uses precision fermentation, bioengineering and downstream processing technologies to assist start-ups in validating their processes at a scale suitable for producing advanced ingredients for new food applications. They offer contract research and manufacturing, incubation, expertise, resources and certified facilities to help companies bring these food, beverage and ingredient innovations to market. “We’re filling this gap in manufacturing wherein there’s tremendous potential to produce healthy, nutritious food products sustainably, but there’s a lack of infrastructure to produce them,” Dr. Ganeshan says. “We’re helping startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to get their precision fermentation products quickly to market. While the current large-scale capacity at the Food Centre is still not a high throughput commercial production scale, it allows for proof-of-concept and early commercialization efforts for these startups and SMEs.” Dr. Ganeshan believes precision fermentation allows for the efficient use of resources to derive maximum benefit. For example, in today’s context, there’s a lot of emphasis on circular economy and the upcycling of agricultural residues to derive more value. Using agri-food waste for added value will provide market opportunities and prevent these waste residues from going to landfills. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre Inc., 2335 Schuyler St., Saskatoon, Sask., Canada S7M 5V1 (ph 306-933-7555; info@foodcentre.sk.ca; www.foodcentre.sk.ca).

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