Page 61 - FoodFocusThailand No.234 September 2025

SMART PRODUCTION PRODUCTION
SMART

Today’s global food industries grapple simultaneously

with multiple critical issues, including food security,
climate change, and dwindling natural resources. This,
coupled with the relentless rise in protein demand, has
compelled food operators to devise efficient solutions
for sustainable food production. One such innovation
is “precision fermentation”, a technology capable of
effectively producing high-quality proteins from microbial

hosts, thereby reducing the reliance on animal-derived
proteins.

Precision Fermentation :

The Next Frontier for Sustainable Food Proteins

One distinctive characteristic of precision fermentation is proteins. Moreover, Perfect Day, an American corporation,
its ability to produce proteins with structural and biological has successfully developed a whey protein using precision
properties akin to their animal counterparts. In principle, fermentation technology and applied it to their alternative
specific microbial strains are selected and utilized to produce milk products. Precision fermentation directly addresses
various protein types (Figure 1). For instance, casein sustainability challenges due to its distinct advantages over
and whey protein, commonly found in cow’s milk, can be animal proteins: it substantially helps reduce greenhouse gases
generated by genetically engineered Pichia pastoris. This (GHG), lowers water and space usage in food production, and
process facilitates the precise production of target proteins eliminates the need for deforestation, agricultural plantations,
without the need for animals. The resulting proteins resemble and animal farming (Figure 2).
those originating from animals and are ideal for vegetarians Additionally, the properties of these proteins can be
or individuals allergic to cow’s milk . Similarly, ovalbumin (egg customized to better suit their specific applications and
1
white) can be produced from Trichoderma reesei, a fungus nutritional requirements. For instance, their water solubility
widely employed in the enzyme industry and renowned for can be enhanced, and the content of essential amino acids
its capacity to produce extracellular proteins. This eliminates can be increased . In terms of safety, proteins derived from
2
the need for hens, reduces environmental impact, and precision fermentation are found to be free of pathogens
mitigates the risks of protein allergies often associated or antibiotic residues, which are often present in animal
with natural chicken eggs. Furthermore, Saccharomyces proteins from traditional animal-based food production . These
3
cerevisiae can produce heme and leghemoglobin, proteins advantages position precision fermentation as a promising
that impart color and flavor resembling animal meat, offering technology poised to play an increasingly active role in the
consumers a unique experience of consuming meat-like future transformation of global food production systems.

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