Yichang, China-headquartered Angel Yeast Co. has launched AngeoPro F80, a vegan-friendly, allergen-free, natural origin yeast protein. It is promoted as rich in nutrition and protein content with properties that can neutralize off-flavors and boost the overall taste profile of plant-based food products including cheese analogs vegan fish, faux burgers and chicken cutlets.
“This unique microbial yeast protein not only provides similar nutritional value to animal protein, but also addresses concerns involving plant-based protein such as genetic modification and shortage of land resources. We believe yeast protein is one of the best alternative protein sources in the market now,” said Eric Ao, general manager of Angel Yeast’s Europe Division.
Protein is an important component of human tissues and organs, which plays a crucial role in various systems to maintain the growth and metabolism of tissues. Sufficient intake of high-quality protein is particularly essential for the maintenance of physical health.
Data from the Plant-Based Foods Association (PBFA) and The Good Food Institute (GFI) has shown that 18 percent of households in the United States opt for plant-based meat. The research also reveals that the growth rate of plant-based meat consumption is two times more than its animal protein counterpart, making up 2 percent of sales of retail meat products in the country. However, people who choose plant-based meat as a primary protein source tend to suffer from a low protein digestion rate, which underscores the need to find a more sustainable solution to substitute or complement plant-derived protein products.
A natural ingredient that has been consumed for thousands of years in food and beverages such as bread, wine, and beer, yeast has emerged as an excellent alternative. Yeast protein is derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Its production process adds food-grade enzymes and processing aids to partially remove the non-protein parts of yeast protein products, thus bringing protein concentrate to over 75 percent.
Yeast protein is also deemed an ideal protein source for food formulations due to its balanced amino acids composition and micronutrients as well as high digestibility, which makes it a high-quality protein source with high bioavailability and places it in the same rank as soybean – one of the most recognized plant-based sources of protein – in terms of nutritional level.
Yeast protein is made through an eco-friendly fermentation process that minimizes environmental impact, requires limited land use for cultivation and is less affected by harvest and seasonality that plant-based protein production is subjected to. Research shows that the carbon emission generated during the production of yeast protein is 20 times less than that of beef, so it is a sustainable protein in comparison to other more resource-intensive and environmentally impactful options. In addition, yeast protein does not contain any genetically modified organisms, suitable for vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians.
Besides inheriting all the benefits of yeast protein, AngeoPro F80’s high protein content is on a par with plant-based protein, and some of the essential amino acids in AngeoPro F80 has nearly double the amount of WHO/FAC recommendations, including lysine (9.43g/100g), isoleucine (5.94g/100g) and leucine (9.78g/100g).
About Angel Yeast Co.
Founded in in western Hubei province in 1986, Angel Yeast Co. specializes in the production of yeast and yeast derivatives. Its product range includes baker’s yeast and ingredients, Chinese dim sum and seasoning, savory yeast extract, human health, animal nutrition, plant nutrition, distilled spirits and biofuels, microbial nutrition and enzymes.
