Microbes and Alternative Proteins: Plant-Based Fermentation, Bio-purification and the Use of Microbial Biomass

For the use of plant-based proteins there are still numerous technological challenges. These challenges include nutritional parity, food-safety and the optimization of flavour and texture. NIZO utilizes fermentation to improve properties such as acidification, flavour formation and off-flavour removal. Next to classical fermentation NIZO recently also established that the bio-purification i.e. removal of off-flavours from plant-based ingredients is possible but without fermenting/acidifying the product. Next to the use of microbes to improve plant-based foods and ingredients, the use of microbial biomass and its fractions as a functional food ingredient also will be discussed.