Page 61 - FoodFocusThailand No.237 December 2025

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disposable plates, food containers, and drinking straws. These
materials help reduce petroleum-based plastics.
• Platform Chemicals such as citric acid, produced through
the fermentation of corn syrup by the fungus Aspergillus niger,
can be used as food additives in food products or as ingredients
that enhance clarity in cosmetic formulations.
• Biomaterials: Natural materials can be processed
into various products that are aesthetically pleasing and
environmentally friendly, such as construction materials,
packaging, or other products, for example, is cat litter produced
from cassava residue.
• Biopharmaceuticals, such as insulin and vaccines, which
are produced from living organisms and play an important role • Acetogenesis: The organic acids are converted into
in modern medicine. acetic acid, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide.
• Microbial Proteins, which can be used as ingredients • Methanogenesis: Methane-producing bacteria convert
in animal feed, are produced through synthetic biology acetic acid, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide into methane.
technologies using fermentation processes, helping reduce Currently, anaerobic digestion systems have been
reliance on traditional protein sources. improved for higher efficiency, such as the 2-Stage Anaerobic
3. Fertilizers and Soil Amendments Baffled Reactor (2-Stage ABR), which can increase biogas
• Compost is produced by fermenting biomass under both production efficiency by 20–30%. In this system, preliminary
aerobic and anaerobic conditions. It can be used as an organic digestion occurs in the first stage, while methane production
fertilizer to improve soil quality, increase organic matter, and occurs in the second stage.
supply nutrients to plants. 2. Fermentation
• Biofertilizers are made from rice straw or sugarcane This process converts the sugars in biomass into products
leaves through fermentation with microorganisms, sometimes such as ethanol through the action of yeast or bacteria
enriched with humic acid or nutrients such as nitrogen and under anaerobic conditions. The ethanol produced can be
phosphorus to enhance soil fertility. blended with gasoline (gasohol) for use as fuel. The main raw
• Soil Conditioners help improve soil structure, water materials used in this process are carbohydrate-rich crops
drainage, and water-holding capacity. Some types are blended such as sugarcane, corn, cassava, and bagasse. Producing
with microorganisms to increase biodiversity and assist in bioethanol helps reduce fuel imports and strengthens national
breaking down large organic molecules. energy security.
4. Agricultural Products and Animal Feed Managing biomass energy through biological processes
• Animal Feed: Biomass residues can be processed into is a key pathway toward energy security and sustainability.
animal feed or used as feed ingredients, such as by mixing Converting organic waste into renewable fuels creates
dried ground shrimp or crab shells to enhance nutritional value opportunity to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, reduces
while reducing waste from the food industry. waste, and mitigates greenhouse gas emissions, while also
• Mushroom Cultivation: Agricultural residues can be used creating economic value for the agricultural sector, the food
as substrates for mushroom cultivation, helping add value to industry, and local communities. Although challenges remain
waste materials and promoting sustainable resource use. regarding raw material supply and investment, continuous
research and development, together with supportive
Biomass Conversion to Renewable Energy government policies, will help drive Thailand toward a
Converting biomass into environmentally friendly renewable sustainable clean-energy future.
energy, such as biogas and ethanol, requires biochemical
reactions powered by microorganisms or enzymes to break
down the biomass under suitable conditions. An advantage of
this process is that it can directly treat high-moisture organic More Information Service Info C010
waste without the need for high heat during processing. There
are two key processes involved, as follows:
1. Anaerobic Digestion เอกสารอ้างอิง / References
This is the process in which bacteria decompose organic 1. Behera BC. Citric acid from Aspergillus niger: a comprehensive
matter under anaerobic conditions, resulting in the production overview. Crit Rev Microbiol. 2020 Nov;46(6):727-749. doi:
of biogas, which consists mainly of methane (CH ) at about
4
60–70% and carbon dioxide (CO ) at about 30–40%. The 10.1080/1040841X.2020.1828815. Epub 2020 Oct 12. PMID:
2
biogas produced can be used to generate electricity, heat, or 33044884.
can be upgraded for use as vehicle fuel. Suitable raw materials 2. ศููนย์์สื่่�อสื่ารองค์์กร จุุฬาลงกรณ์์มหาวิิทย์าลัย์. 2565. ทราย์แมวิจุาก
for this process include animal manure, food waste, organic มันสื่ำาปะหลัง “ไฮด์์แอนด์์ซีีค์” ฝีีม่อนักวิิจุัย์ จุุฬาฯ ปลอด์ภััย์ ไร้ฝีุ�น
waste, and residues from agricultural and industrial sectors. สื่ร้างราย์ได์้ให้เกษตรกร. https://www.chula.ac.th/highlight/84626/
The steps are as follows: 3. จุรณ์ี จุิตสื่ัจุจุพงศู์. 2552. ผลของเปล่อกกุ้งป�นต่อสื่มรรถนะการผลิต
• Hydrolysis: Microorganisms break down large organic การเปลี�ย์นแปลงประชากรจุุลินทรีย์์และการตอบสื่นองภัูมิค์ุ้มกันของ
molecules such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into ไก่เน่�อ. วิิทย์านิพนธ์์ สื่าขาวิิชาเทค์โนโลย์ีการผลิตสื่ัตวิ์ มหาวิิทย์าลัย์
smaller ones. เทค์โนโลย์ีสืุ่รนารี ปีการศูึกษา 2552
• Acidogenesis: Bacteria produce various organic acids,
such as acetic, propionic, and butyric acids.
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