Key Manufacturing Technologies of Microbial Protein and Its Application in Food Industry

Food protein is one of the most important nutrients for human beings. The existing ways of obtaining protein are difficult to satisfy the huge demand for protein supply owing to the continuous growth of population and the continuous improvement in living standards. Microbial protein manufacturing is the efficient production of protein raw materials by using cheap biomass raw materials in the way of workshop production, which is expected to become one of the most effective and feasible alternative protein sources in the future. This research introduces industrial application status of several microprotein such as yeast protein, microalgae protein, and filamentous fungi protein, and functional proteins such as lactoprotein, ovalbumin, and hemoglobin. The research also sorts out key manufacturing technical systems involved in substrate selection and utilization, strain breeding, fermentation process control, and protein extraction. It is concluded that in the context that microbial protein has multiple production advantages and few application cases in the food industry, to promote food application and industrialization of microbial protein, it is urgent to solve two problems: food processing as well as evaluation of nutrition and safety. The research can provide a basic reference for national alternative protein strategies and the development layout of the microprotein industry.