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| Source: Angel Yeast. Angel Yeast is boosting yeast protein production to meet a global demand for alternative protein foods. |
Angel Yeast, a global yeast manufacturer, has officially topped out its main plant for industrial yeast protein production at Baiyang Yichang. The plant is expected to achieve an annual output of 11,000 tons, a milestone of Angel Yeast's sustainable protein development strategy, in 2025.
According to the company, traditional protein production, from cereal and legume cultivation to dairy farming, is time-consuming and may struggle to meet future demands for quantity, quality, and sustainable supply. Yeast protein also boasts significant environmental advantages by effectively lowering dependence on land and water resources and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The carbon dioxide emissions associated with producing yeast protein are approximately 1/20 of those from animal protein, Angel Yeast said.
Angel Yeast offers a large-scale, low-cost, and high-quality protein production method, taking hours to extract proteins from yeast. The resulting protein is called AngeoPro, and can be used for protein bars, high-protein cereals and chips, as well as yeast protein powder, cookies and alternative meats. Angel Yeast's AngeoPro can already be found in a vegan protein bar brand in India, the company shared.
"AngeoPro has redefined 'future protein', boasting 80% higher protein content and a 96% protein utilisation rate that surpasses nearly all plant-based proteins. It also provides the nine essential amino acids needed by the human body which account for 47% of total amino acids, while in comparison whey protein is 46% essential amino acids, while plant proteins are usually only 35 to 40%, making AngeoPro yeast protein a nutritionally-advantaged and highly-efficient source of high-quality protein," said Zhang Yan, Assistant GM of Angel Yeast and Dean of the Angel Yeast Research Institute.
Bruce Friedrich, founder and CEO of Good Food Institute, recently spoke at the The Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit in Singapore, where he noted that the Asia-Pacific region's demand for meat is expected to account for 50% of the global total by 2050. He compared alt protein development to that of solar and electric vehicles a decade ago, which was not seen as a viable choice of energy transformation at that time but is now mainstream.
"Looking forward, Angel Yeast will continue to increase our investment in the R&D of yeast proteins, improve production technologies and expand fields of expansion, and contribute to building a sustainable future for all," said Zhang.