On December 1, 2023, the yeast protein supported by the key research and development plan of Hubei Province was included in the catalogue of new food raw materials by the National Health Commission. On the morning of December 7, Angel Yeast, the reporting unit of yeast protein, jointly held the "New Standard Interpretation - A New chapter of alternative protein Microbial Yeast protein online Conference" with the Food Partner Media.

The approval of yeast protein as a new food raw material is a vivid interpretation of "seeking heat and protein from microorganisms", which has important strategic significance for improving our comprehensive self-sufficiency in protein and ensuring national food security.

The preferred source of high quality safe microbial protein

As an efficient and sustainable source of microbial protein, yeast protein is derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is the product of yeast after removing most of the cell wall, and the protein content can reach more than 80%, which is the preferred source of high-quality and safe microbial protein. It effectively makes up for the shortage of plant protein and animal protein resources, and the essential amino acid content is rich, and the ratio of non-essential amino acids reaches 0.91, and the ratio is balanced, higher than soybean protein and comparable to whey protein.

In 1977, the FDA approved the use of bread yeast protein in food as a protein nutritional supplement. In the same year, the European Union also approved saccharomyces cerevisiae proteins obtained by conventional physical and enzymatic methods as food. The yeast protein declared material is Saccharomyces cerevisiae as raw material, through β-glucanase enzymatic hydrolysis, extraction, separation, drying and other main processes of yeast protein products for food industry. The strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae used in raw materials are natural wild strains screened by Angel Company without mutagenesis, domestication or transgenic transformation, and stored in China's typical culture preservation Center in 2016.

Broad industry prospects under the "Big Food Concept"

With population growth and rapid changes in dietary habits, the demand for protein is rising, but the existing protein production methods that rely on agriculture and aquaculture are facing pressure such as serious environmental pollution and high resource consumption. To this end, China put forward the "big food concept" of "developing biotechnology and biological industry, asking for heat and protein from plants, animals and microorganisms". According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Resources Institute, carbon dioxide emissions from the livestock sector, including raising cattle, currently account for about 15% of global carbon emissions. The unit carbon emissions per kilogram of beef is a staggering 250 kilograms. For comparison, the carbon emissions per kilogram of yeast protein production is 10.63kg, only 4% of beef. It can be seen that yeast protein provides an excellent solution for the green development of the food industry.

As the undertaking unit of the key research and development project of Hubei Province "Yeast protein Key Technology Research and Application Development", Angel has brought yeast protein, a microbial protein, to people's tables in an unprecedented way, which is a strong practice of the national "food security" and "double carbon" strategy. Therefore, "Yeast protein development and Application research" was shortlisted in the "Top Ten Progress in China Food Science and Technology in 2022". At present, yeast proteins have been used in energy bars, vegan meat, frozen drinks and other applications.

Taking this conference as an opportunity, Angel Yeast will continue to organize the research of yeast protein as a new food raw material, lead the industry to deeply understand yeast protein and widely used in end products, go hand in hand on the road of future food innovation.