The process of fermentation is older than recorded history. The use of yeast in bread making dates back to the Ancient Egyptians. Nowadays, food fermentation has become much more sophisticated and precise, thanks to advances in technology.
Fermentation is essentially a chemical reaction between an organic substance and yeast. Yeast breaks down sugars in the food to produce alcohol, carbon dioxide gas or lactic acid - which are all important for different purposes in the food industry. For example, lactic acid is used to preserve vegetables while carbon dioxide is used as a natural preservative for dairy products such as cheese and yogurt.
Isn't This How Beer is Made?
So fermentation is the process of converting sugars to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermenting foods is one of the most important ways to preserve them. Many foods like cider vinegar, soy sauce, sauerkraut and yogurt are made by fermentation.
The point of precision fermentation is to use this old technology to create basic proteins instead of beer. This can be done by controlling the temperature of the fermenting mass very carefully (in other words controlling how cold it's kept) and also by adding micro-nutrients at precise times.
What is Precision Fermentation and how does it work?
Precision fermentation is a process that uses data and analytics to control and optimize fermentation. This allows for the creation of fermented products with consistent quality and taste. The process begins with the collection of data on the desired characteristics of the final product. This data is then used to create a model of the fermentation process. This model is used to control the fermentation process and optimize it for the desired results.
Precision fermentation has only recently gained popularity, but it is not a new concept. The idea behind precision fermentation is to create an environment where yeasts and proteins can thrive and produce the desired flavors and aromas. This is accomplished by controlling the temperature, oxygen levels, and nutrients available to the yeast.
In the past we had no possible way of controlling fermentation at this level of precision but with the rapid rise of technology we are finally in a position to harness nature's abundance.
The implications of what this advance in food and agriculture cannot be understated. We are on the edge of extreme change and precision fermentation might be the key to ending hunger globally.
Picture a world where outside of major cities there are huge warehouses that can create more than enough food for the people that live there. No more need for ridiculous transport and packaging costs. No more need to go in search of new places to grow food. No more need to pollute waterways and destroy topsoil.
The way we lived and food in the past will not serve us well in the future.
