SHANGHAI, Dec. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Angel Yeast, (SH600298), the world's leading yeast manufacturer, is responding to the call of action of COP28 which is taking place from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai with concrete actions and sustainable solutions.

Themed "Actionism," the COP28's agenda centers on encouraging people to make changes, build momentums, and rise to meet the climate change challenges, especially emphasizing on the role of people and nature in climate action.

Inger Andersen, head of UNEP, remarked at a press conference on December 8 during COP28 which released a report of new protein's positive impact, "What's cooking: An assessment of the potential impacts of selected novel alternatives to conventional animal products," that new protein is a solution to the increasing demand for meat products and consumption to the environment. Andersen hopes more researchers can join and fill the gaps of new protein nutrition, cell-cultured meat, and fermented protein, and only research with more government support, international safety standards, business support, and collaboration can accelerate the transformation of the food system and development of new proteins.

Angel Yeast is proactively promoting the application of yeast protein, delivering possible sustainable solutions for people leveraging biotech innovations.

As a core component of the food system, the protein production system is being reshaped. On December 1, yeast protein as a key project of Hubei Province's R&D program was listed in the new food raw material catalog by the National Health Commission of People's Republic of China, marking a milestone that China, a country with a large population and well-developed animal husbandry, has taken the lead to recognize yeast protein, that "finding energy and protein in microorganism" is not just a simple slogan, but a key driver in future global sustainable food solutions.

Yeast Protein: A smart path for solving the protein crisis

It's estimated that by 2050, the global population will amount to 9.7 billion in the worst possible scenarios. This population growth will create a protein shortage of up to 250 million tons, but filling the gap through animal husbandry will accelerate global warming and take up land for growing food crops, eventually leading to a greater negative impact on the environment.

According to the statistics by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Resources Institute, the carbon emissions of the animal husbandry industry (including cattle farming) account for about 15 percent of global carbon emissions. The greenhouse gas emitted from producing a kilogram of animal protein is significantly higher than that of producing plant protein.

Yeast Protein: A friendly solution for the planet

Yeast protein is made by culturing, fermenting, and centrifuging Saccharomyces Cerevisiae to collect raw bacterial materials. Its nutritional composition is protein, fat, dietary fiber, and water. It's approved in the U.S. as a nutritional supplement, while the EU has approved Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein as a new raw food material without consumption limit.

Different from the plant-based protein, the microbial fermentation process of producing yeast proteins is sustainable, scalable, and reliable to guarantee consistent supply regardless of weather conditions.

Angel Yeast has achieved the mass production of yeast proteins and tackled the technology of producing high-purity yeast proteins. The product has been successfully applied in seasonings, meat products, plant-based meat, dairy products, and nutritional function products. Its annual yeast protein production capacity has reached 10, 000 tons per year, with plans to establish an additional production line with an annual capacity of 30,000 tons. Yeast protein production reduces water consumption significantly, takes up less arable land, and leaves a smaller carbon footprint. The wastewater from the production can be used as organic yeast fertilizer to achieve a circular economy, making it an important factor in the fight against climate change and energy shortage challenges.

Promoting sustainable development of the food industry and reshaping the protein product system

Following the increasingly severe impact of the climate crisis and population growth, sustainable development is now imperative for food supply and human health, and the protein production system is being reshaped.

Angel Yeast's yeast protein is a complete protein boasting nine essential amino acids, and is a reliable, environmentally friendly, and sustainable nutritional product, making it an ideal substitute for plant and animal proteins without any risks of GMOs or other protein problems.

The BCAA content in yeast protein is slightly higher than whey protein, which is beneficial for muscle recovery. Angel Yeast's product also has higher dietary fiber to support intestinal health, and as a slow-digesting protein, it can provide amino acids steadily to the body.

Angel Yeast is committed to promoting the green development of the industry and empowering sustainability initiatives with research including the AngeoPro yeast protein. Analysis has shown that AngeoPro is more similar to animal protein than plant protein, and as a fermented product, the wastewater from the production process can be used as organic fertilizers for yeast production crops to create a circular economy.

Yeast protein addresses the barriers that keep consumers from buying animal protein supplements as well as the limited health effects and sustainability issues of plant-based protein.

"As a trailblazer in the yeast sector, Angel Yeast is spearheading Hubei Province's critical R&D initiative titled 'research and application development of key technology of yeast protein.' The company is pioneering the introduction of yeast protein, a micro-protein, into diets, which is a big step in our mission towards reducing our carbon footprint," said Zhang Yan, Dean of the Research Institute of Angel Yeast.