Fermentative production of texturizing acetans and acetan-containing ingredients from industrial side streams

The use of hydrocolloids as thickeners and gelling agents is crucial for the texture and stability of many foods. However, there is a significant demand for alternatives to the established polysaccharides extracted from plants or algae. One approach to obtaining alternative texturizing hydrocolloids is the fermentation of side streams from the food industry using exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing bacteria from various genera (e.g., Acetobacter, Kozakia, Komagataeibacter).

This research project systematically investigates the production, properties, and functionalities of polysaccharides referred to as acetans, with the goal of generating isolated acetans and acetan-containing ingredients based on dairy- and plant-derived side streams from the food industry. Initially, various enzymatic and mechanical pretreatments for thermally precipitated whey from quark production and oat okara will be examined, along with an analysis of the utilization of different carbon sources by eight acetan-producing strains. The respective acetans will then be studied in detail regarding their structural and techno-functional properties.

Following this, side streams will be fermented using selected strains and pretreatments, which will then be scaled up in a second step. Finally, the fermented materials will be concentrated to obtain acetan-containing ingredients. The findings of this project will benefit, among others, manufacturers of dairy and dairy-alternative products, as it explores new texturization approaches and enables improved or novel value creation through the fermentative utilization of side streams. The necessary equipment is already available in many companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), allowing dairies and biotechnology firms to produce acetans and acetan-containing ingredients in a cost-effective and low-effort process.

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