223
17
Microbial Biomass Protein
Although less high profile than it was half a century ago, there is still interest in the
cultivation of microbes specifically as foodstuffs, rather than as agents in the produc-
tion of other products, which is how we have encountered them in this book. The term
‘Single Cell Protein’ was coined to describe these products, which were based on diverse
bacteria and yeasts, growing on a range of carbon sources (Table 17.1). As some of the
organisms are not unicellular, the term Microbial Biomass Protein is better suited.
One prominent product is Quorn™. It is a joint venture between two major British
companies and has been marketed as a meat substitute since 1984. Organisms gener-
ated as co‐products in other fermentation industries (e.g. brewers’ yeast) have long
been used as a food product for humans and animals.
17.1 Production and Properties of Quorn
The organism, Fusarium venenatum, is grown at 30 °C in rigorously sterile conditions in
air lift (pressure cycle) fermenters. The liquid medium flows continuously into the
fermenter (the residence time is five to six hours), and the conditions are highly aerobic,
with the compressed air serving both as a nutrient and as the vehicle for agitation.
The carbon source is glucose produced by the hydrolysis of corn starch and ammo-
nium salts are included as the nitrogen source. The pH is maintained at 4.5–7.0 and
iron, manganese, potassium, calcium, magnesium, cobalt, copper and biotin are added.
It will be recognised that, unlike the other products considered in this book, the cells
themselves are really all that impacts on the properties of the finished product in the
present instance. The medium composition is relevant only insofar as it impacts the
yield and properties of the organism per se and has no role to play, for instance, in
determining final product flavour or appearance. The continuous fermentation system
is re‐established every 1000 hours.
After fermentation the cell suspension is heat‐shocked to reduce the extent of devel-
opment of ribonucleic acid (RNA) degradation products, the presence of which will
otherwise elevate the risk of gout in those partaking of the foodstuff. Heating is at 64 °C
to eliminate the enzymes that convert RNA to nucleotides.
The cell suspension is harvested by centrifugation and the hyphae mixed with binding
agents and flavourings and heated to cause a gelling of the binder and a linking of the
hyphae.
Food, Fermentation, and Micro-organisms, Second Edition. Charles W. Bamforth and David J. Cook.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Published 2019 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
224 17 Microbial Biomass Protein
Table 17.1 Some Microbial Biomass protein processes.
Substrate Organism
n‐Alkanes Achromobacter delvacte
Cellulose Alcaligenes, Cellulomonas
Ethanol Candida utilis, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus
Glucose Fusarium venenatum, Lactobacillus, Rhodopseudomonas capsulata
Hydrocarbons Candida tropicalis, Yarrowia lipolytica
Lactose Aeromonas hydropylla
Maltose Lactobacillus
Methane Methylococcus capsulatus
Methanol Methylomonas clara, Methylophilus methylotrophus, Pichia pastoris
Molasses C. utilis
Non‐protein nitrogen‐ Bacillus megaterium
containing compounds
Starch Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera/C. utilis
Sucrose C. utilis
Sulphite waste liquor C. utilis
Uric acid Pseudomonas fluorescens
Whey Candida intermedia, Candida krusei, Candida pintolepesii, C. utilis,
Kluyveromyces lactis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus
The product is some 45% protein, 14% fat and 26% fibre by dry weight. It is 11%
rotein, 3% available carbohydrate, 6% fibre, 3% fat, 2% ash, and 75% water by wet
p
weight. It is sold in a variety of commercial forms, e.g. pieces or minced.
Nutritionally, Quorn stacks up very well against other foods. It possesses a complete
complement of essential amino acids and is a particularly good source of threonine,
which tends to be the limiting amino acid in meat. Quorn contains little saturated fat
and has a favourable ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids when compared to
beef and chicken. It is devoid of cholesterol and is low in calories. It possesses signifi-
cant levels of fibre in the form of chitin and β‐glucan from the Fusarium cell walls. It
contains the breadth of B vitamins, with the exception of B12. Finally it is devoid of
phytic acid, and so tends not to interfere with metal uptake from the diet.
Bibliography
Goldberg, I. (1985). Single Cell Protein. Berlin: Springer Verlag.
Large, P.J. and Bamforth, C.W. (1988). Methylotrophy and Biotechnology. London:
Longman.
Moo‐Young, M. and Gregory, K. (1986). Microbial Biomass Proteins. London: Elsevier.
Mora‐Pale, M., Garcia‐Garibay, M., and Barzana, E. (2014). Microbial biomass protein. In:
Oxford Handbook of Food Fermentations (ed. C.W. Bamforth and R.E. Ward), 751–769.
New York: Oxford University Press.
Trinci, P.J. (1991). Quorn mycoprotein. Mycologist 5: 106–109.
