ARTICLE Alternative Proteins Magazine October 2024 25 About Andrea Lopez Andrea Lopez is Selko’s Global Product Manager for Yeast Control and Food2Feed program. She is a dynamic professional with a background in biotechnology and a wealth of experience in sustainable practices within the food and feed industry. Her work experience has been dedicated to implementing sustainable solutions that optimize the utilization of by-products as alternative protein and nutrients sources, replacing common raw materials used in animal feed. Currently, Lopez serves in a pivotal role focusing on the application of organic acids for nutritional preservation and microbial control in high moist by-products. As an integral member of the team, she spearheads initiatives aimed at harnessing the potential of organic acids to enhance the nutritional quality and safety of these by-products when used on animals. Her dedication to addressing environmental concerns while promoting nutritional preservation underscores her commitment to shaping a more sustainable future for the feed and food industry. Specific blends of buffered and non-buffered organic acids prevent spoilage by inhibiting microbial growth. By lowering the pH and creating a hostile environment for spoilage organisms, these acids help to preserve the proteins present in liquid byproducts. Organic acids have been found to attack unwanted microbial organisms, like bacteria, in several ways including by damaging the cellular walls of these organisms, creating energy competition, increasing the permeability of cell walls, raising intracellular osmotic pressure, and inhibiting biomolecule synthesis. For example, these acids can enter the cell of an unwanted microbe and dissociate to generate acid ions and protons (H+), which alters the internal pH. The cell becomes more acidic, causing it to waste its energy actively expelling protons. Similarly, the collection of acid ions increases intracellular osmotic pressure and dealing with that pressure interrupts normal cell growth and the function of its metabolism. Direct antimicrobial action of organic acids in their undissociated form can penetrate microbial cell membrane and disrupt metabolic processes, leading to microorganism death. Ultimately these effects lead to increased cell death for the unwanted microbes. As the harmful microbes perish, they can no longer break down proteins and cause formation of unwanted metabolites, like toxins or ammonia, which reduce protein quality. Furthermore, organic acids ensure the proteins stay intact by preventing microbial proteases – enzymes that break down proteins – from being produced by bacteria or moulds. This collection of modes of action helps prevent the decomposition of proteins, preserves amino acid profiles, and maintains nutrient suitability for extraction and use in animal feed. How organic acids attack: Mode of action explained and sustainable alternative to conventional feed ingredients. Treating by-products with Selko Yeast Inhibition solutions for protein extraction is an innovative approach that supports a more circular economy by making waste products valuable in their own right and preserves natural resources. It transforms what was once considered waste into a valuable feed ingredient, contributing to more sustainable, efficient, and eco-friendly animal production systems.
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