Development of yeast extract seasonings

High value-added yeast extracts support flavor creation in processed foods

Owing to their rich content of umami constituents, yeast extracts have been used as a seasoning material and cooking base since long ago. The Asahi Group has engaged in various types of technology development applying the technologies for the use of yeast it has built up. This includes studies of yeast selection and culturing conditions as well of methods for making yeast extracts from yeast. The yeast extracts that have been produced by doing this are used widely not only in the processed food industry but also in the healthfood industry, pet food industry, and other industries.

Selecting yeast strains with specific characteristics from vast yeast library

Yeast is rich in umami ingredients such as glutamic acid, inosinic acid, and guanylic acid. Owing to this, yeast extract has long been used as a seasoning in Europe. The Asahi Group has engaged in the development of glutamic acid-rich, nucleic acid-rich, and other yeast extracts with special characteristics, utilizing brewing and fermentation technologies, and knowhow it has built up over a long time.
In the development of yeast extracts, yeasts that are rich in the desired constitutents are selected from the Asahi Group's vast yeast library. Efficient culturing methods, extraction methods, and other aspects are also studied for the selected yeasts.

Using power of yeast extracts to solve problems of processed food manufacturers

Our newly-developed glutamic acid-rich yeast extract not only reinforces umami, it also has other benefits, such as increasing the spiciness of curries, reducing the acidic taste of vinegar, and augmenting the creaminess and richness of ice cream and other dairy products. Development staff's duties include having a direct dialogue with processed food manufacturers and other customers to extract their problems and suggesting ways of solving them using yeast extracts.

Creating processed cheese and smoky flavors through processing applying yeast characteristics

Through the use of unexpected discoveries, new ways of using yeast extracts have been increasing. The staff in charge of their development have succeeded in developing yeast extracts that reproduce cheese, smoky, sesame, and other specific flavors by combining several different yeast extracts or through heat or other types of processing. Thus, yeast extracts have come to be used in wide-ranging flavor creation that includes their use as seasonings for dressings and sauces, in sausages, instant foods, and other processed foods, and in desserts such as ice cream and baked confections. Fascinated by the appeal of yeast, we accept the challenges of finding new uses for yeast extracts with the desire to create something even better.

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