1)microbial inoculation in food fermentation .The process is the major biotechnological application in food processing.
It makes use of microbial inoculated for enhancing properties such as taste,aroma,shelf life,safety,texture and nutritional value of foods.
Microbes associated with raw food material and processing environment such as inoculated in spontaneous fermentation.
While involutes containing high concentration of live microbes are preferred to as strata cultures and are used to initiate and accelerate the rate of fermentation in non-spontaneous fermentation process.
Starter culture improvement together with improvement of bioreactor technology for the control of fermentation as led to production of high value product such as enzymes microbial cultures and functional food ingredients.
Food additives and processing aids.Enzymes,amino acids,vitamins,organic acids,polyunsaturated fatty acids and flavouring agents used in food formulation are currently produced using genetically modified microorganisms.
Enzymes. They are used in food processing and in the production in food indregients.The Recombinant DNA technology has made it possible to manufacture new methods tailored to specific food processing conditions eg 2-amylases with increased instability has been engineered for use for production of high fructose syrup.Microbial strains develop for enzymes production have been engineered to increase enzymes yields. Certain fungi producing strains have been modified to reduce or eliminate their potential for producing toxins.
Flavours, amino acids and sweeteners. More than 100 commercial aroma chemicals are derived using biotechnology.Recombinant DNA technology has also enhanced efficiency in the production of non nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame,thaumatun.
Amino acids produced as a result of biotechnology are used as a active indrigients in a variety of industrial processes.
