ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE August 2024 47 Generally Recognised as Safe (GRAS) for both human and animal consumption, S. cerevisiae has many desirable characteristics that make it suitable as an ingredient for animal feed. Yeast is naturally rich in protein with a balanced amino acid profile, and it is a good source of fibre, vitamins and trace minerals. It is also easy to cultivate in various industrial settings, making it the ideal microorganism to use for the large-scale production of SCP. However, S. cerevisiae typically cannot grow efficiently on the components present in large industrial waste streams, nor can they achieve all the nutritional benefits required of a premium protein feed ingredient. This is where MicroBioGen, a biotechnology company specialising in improving S. cerevisiae for industrial applications, comes in. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, MicroBioGen leverages two decades of deep technology development to generate superior industrial yeast phenotypes - without genetic engineering. Applying the same platform technology and library of elite non-GM yeast genetics that revolutionised the biofuels industry, MicroBioGen has succeeded in developing a natural yeast for SCP Generally Recognised as Safe (GRAS) Non-GM (free from genetic engineering) Protein content and quality Amino acid profile Digestibility and organoleptic qualities Tolerance to fluctuating conditions Robustness Manufacturability Scalability Value-added features Sustainability Economic viability Microorganisms used for SCP should not be harmful to humans or animals through pathogenicity or the production of harmful toxins Microorganisms used for SCP should ideally be non-GM to avoid minimising the markets into which it can be sold and avoid lengthy approvals process SCP protein content should be high (>50%) and of good quality with high digestibility The amino acid profile needs to be suitable as a fish meal replacement, e.g. increased levels of lysine The protein produced should be easily digestible and have acceptable taste and smell to the fish and other farmed aquatic animals The microorganisms should be able to grow in a range of environmental conditions, such as different pH levels, temperatures and mineral concentrations Microorganisms used need to be resistant to inhibitors found in industrial side streams, and immune to viral infections The microorganisms used for SCP production should be easy to manufacture with consistently high yields and productivities The production process must be scalable to make a meaningful difference to feed supply Other value adding features to maximise margins and returns could include e.g. antioxidants, accumulation of phytase or other beneficial enzymes Production of the alternative protein supply must be sustainable, i.e. the microorganisms should be able to effectively utilize various carbon and nitrogen sources that do not compete with the current food supply Value of the SCP must be significantly higher than the cash production cost, including capital depreciation Table 1. Essential criteria for single cell protein (SCP) production suitable for animal feed
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==