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Sekoai PT, Roets-Dlamini Y, O’Brien F, Ramchuran S, Chunilall V. Valorization of Food Waste into Single-Cell Protein: An Innovative Technological Strategy for Sustainable Protein Production. Microorganisms 2024; 12:166. [PMID: 38257991 PMCID: PMC10819637 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The rapidly increasing population and climate change pose a great threat to our current food systems. Moreover, the high usage of animal-based and plant-based protein has its drawbacks, as these nutritional sources require many hectares of land and water, are affected by seasonal variations, are costly, and contribute to environmental pollution. Single-cell proteins (SCPs) are gaining a lot of research interest due to their remarkable properties, such as their high protein content that is comparable with other protein sources; low requirements for land and water; low carbon footprint; and short production period. This review explores the use of food waste as a sustainable feedstock for the advancement of SCP processes. It discusses SCP studies that exploit food waste as a substrate, alongside the biocatalysts (bacteria, fungi, yeast, and microalgae) that are used. The operational setpoint conditions governing SCP yields and SCP fermentation routes are elucidated as well. This review also demonstrates how the biorefinery concept is implemented in the literature to improve the economic potential of "waste-to-protein" innovations, as this leads to the establishment of multiproduct value chains. A short section that discusses the South African SCP scenario is also included. The technical and economic hurdles facing second-generation SCP processes are also discussed, together with future perspectives. Therefore, SCP technologies could play a crucial role in the acceleration of a "sustainable protein market", and in tackling the global hunger crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick T. Sekoai
- Biorefinery Industry Development Facility, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Durban 4041, South Africa;
| | - Yrielle Roets-Dlamini
- Bioprocessing Group, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria 0001, South Africa; (Y.R.-D.); (F.O.); (S.R.)
| | - Frances O’Brien
- Bioprocessing Group, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria 0001, South Africa; (Y.R.-D.); (F.O.); (S.R.)
| | - Santosh Ramchuran
- Bioprocessing Group, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria 0001, South Africa; (Y.R.-D.); (F.O.); (S.R.)
- School of Life Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
| | - Viren Chunilall
- Biorefinery Industry Development Facility, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Durban 4041, South Africa;
- Discipline of Chemical Engineering, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
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Amara AA, El-Baky NA. Fungi as a Source of Edible Proteins and Animal Feed. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:73. [PMID: 36675894 PMCID: PMC9863462 DOI: 10.3390/jof9010073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
It is expected that the world population will reach 9 billion by 2050. Thus, meat, dairy or plant-based protein sources will fail to meet global demand. New solutions must be offered to find innovative and alternative protein sources. As a natural gift, edible wild mushrooms growing in the wet and shadow places and can be picked by hand have been used as a food. From searching mushrooms in the forests and producing single cell proteins (SCP) in small scales to mega production, academia, United Nations Organizations, industries, political makers and others, play significant roles. Fermented traditional foods have also been reinvestigated. For example, kefir, miso, and tempeh, are an excellent source for fungal isolates for protein production. Fungi have unique criteria of consuming various inexpensive wastes as sources of carbon and energy for producing biomass, protein concentrate or amino acids with a minimal requirement of other environmental resources (e.g., light and water). Fungal fermented foods and SCP are consumed either intentionally or unintentionally in our daily meals and have many applications in food and feed industries. This review addresses fungi as an alternative source of edible proteins and animal feed, focusing mainly on SCP, edible mushrooms, fungal fermented foods, and the safety of their consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amro A. Amara
- Protein Research Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute (GEBRI), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Universities and Research Center District, New Borg El-Arab City P.O. Box 21934, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Nawal Abd El-Baky
- Protein Research Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute (GEBRI), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Universities and Research Center District, New Borg El-Arab City P.O. Box 21934, Alexandria, Egypt
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Pereira AG, Fraga-Corral M, Garcia-Oliveira P, Otero P, Soria-Lopez A, Cassani L, Cao H, Xiao J, Prieto MA, Simal-Gandara J. Single-Cell Proteins Obtained by Circular Economy Intended as a Feed Ingredient in Aquaculture. Foods 2022; 11:2831. [PMID: 36140957 PMCID: PMC9497958 DOI: 10.3390/foods11182831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The constant increment in the world's population leads to a parallel increase in the demand for food. This situation gives place the need for urgent development of alternative and sustainable resources to satisfy this nutritional requirement. Human nutrition is currently based on fisheries, which accounts for 50% of the fish production for human consumption, but also on agriculture, livestock, and aquaculture. Among them, aquaculture has been pointed out as a promising source of animal protein that can provide the population with high-quality protein food. This productive model has also gained attention due to its fast development. However, several aquaculture species require considerable amounts of fish protein to reach optimal growth rates, which represents its main drawback. Aquaculture needs to become sustainable using renewable source of nutrients with high contents of proteins to ensure properly fed animals. To achieve this goal, different approaches have been considered. In this sense, single-cell protein (SCP) products are a promising solution to replace fish protein from fishmeal. SCP flours based on microbes or algae biomass can be sustainably obtained. These microorganisms can be cultured by using residues supplied by other industries such as agriculture, food, or urban areas. Hence, the application of SCP for developing innovative fish meal offers a double solution by reducing the management of residues and by providing a sustainable source of proteins to aquaculture. However, the use of SCP as aquaculture feed also has some limitations, such as problems of digestibility, presence of toxins, or difficulty to scale-up the production process. In this work, we review the potential sources of SCP, their respective production processes, and their implementation in circular economy strategies, through the revalorization and exploitation of different residues for aquaculture feeding purposes. The data analyzed show the positive effects of SCP inclusion in diets and point to SCP meals as a sustainable feed system. However, new processes need to be exploited to improve yield. In that direction, the circular economy is a potential alternative to produce SCP at any time of the year and from various cost-free substrates, almost without a negative impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antia G. Pereira
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Science, Universidade de Vigo, E32004 Ourense, Spain
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolonia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
| | - Maria Fraga-Corral
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Science, Universidade de Vigo, E32004 Ourense, Spain
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolonia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
| | - Paula Garcia-Oliveira
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Science, Universidade de Vigo, E32004 Ourense, Spain
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolonia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
| | - Paz Otero
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Science, Universidade de Vigo, E32004 Ourense, Spain
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolonia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
| | - Anton Soria-Lopez
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Science, Universidade de Vigo, E32004 Ourense, Spain
| | - Lucia Cassani
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Science, Universidade de Vigo, E32004 Ourense, Spain
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolonia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales (INTEMA, CONICET), Colón 10850, Mar del Plata 7600, Argentina
| | - Hui Cao
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Science, Universidade de Vigo, E32004 Ourense, Spain
| | - Jianbo Xiao
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Science, Universidade de Vigo, E32004 Ourense, Spain
| | - Miguel A. Prieto
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Science, Universidade de Vigo, E32004 Ourense, Spain
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolonia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
| | - Jesus Simal-Gandara
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Science, Universidade de Vigo, E32004 Ourense, Spain
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Single Cell Protein: A Potential Substitute in Human and Animal Nutrition. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13169284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Single cell protein (SCP) is the first product of the fermentation process and has proven to be a good protein alternative. Food competition is becoming more intense as the world’s population continues to grow. Soon, SCP may be able to compensate for a protein deficit. Various global businesses are focusing on SCP production, and the scope of its application is expanding as time and knowledge increases. High quantities of SCP can be produced by microorganisms, such as algae, yeast, fungi and bacteria, due to their fast development rate and the significant level of protein in their chemical structure. Beside proteins, SCP contains carbohydrates, nucleic acids, lipids, minerals, vitamins and several important amino acids. SCP has been an effective substitute for more expensive protein sources such as fish and soybean products. In conclusion, SCP can easily replace traditional protein sources in human and animal feed without detrimental effects. Potential substrate candidates and optimization strategies for SCP production have been extensively studied. This review article focuses on the various aspects of SCP, from its production, using different substrates, player microorganisms and nutritional benefits, to its economic aspects.
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Ritala A, Häkkinen ST, Toivari M, Wiebe MG. Single Cell Protein-State-of-the-Art, Industrial Landscape and Patents 2001-2016. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2009. [PMID: 29081772 PMCID: PMC5645522 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
By 2050, the world would need to produce 1,250 million tonnes of meat and dairy per year to meet global demand for animal-derived protein at current consumption levels. However, growing demand for protein will not be met sustainably by increasing meat and dairy production because of the low efficiency of converting feed to meat and dairy products. New solutions are needed. Single cell protein (SCP), i.e., protein produced in microbial and algal cells, is an option with potential. Much of the recent interest in SCP has focused on the valorisation of side streams by using microorganisms to improve their protein content, which can then be used in animal feed. There is also increased use of mixed populations, rather than pure strains in the production of SCP. In addition, the use of methane as a carbon source for SCP is reaching commercial scales and more protein-rich products are being derived from algae for both food and feed. The following review addresses the latest developments in SCP production from various organisms, giving an overview of commercial exploitation, a review of recent advances in the patent landscape (2001–2016) and a list of industrial players in the SCP field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anneli Ritala
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, Finland
| | - Suvi T Häkkinen
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, Finland
| | - Mervi Toivari
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, Finland
| | - Marilyn G Wiebe
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, Finland
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