Nutritional Yeast

[Guest guest]

Not being a proponent of nutritional yeast, I thought some of you might

find it intersting to see how this is produced. Super Nutrition and

Doc's TN both use this and I am not sold on it being used as it is a

totally dead processed product. The yeast is pasteurized destroying any

natural vitamins, enzymes and minerals that may have been present prior

to pasteurization. It also severly changes the proteins and amino acids

present depending on the heat of pasteurization. On top of this they

then add in more synthetic vitamins and inorganic minerals. Gotta be a

better way. Here is a link to an interesting site with a lot of very

interesting information about what happens to our food when it is

heated. Lots of pages and links. Very informative. http://www.waisays.com/

*

MANUFACTURING OF NUTRITIONAL YEAST

*The manufacturing process for yeast can be likened to farming -

preparation, seeding, cultivation and harvesting. Unlike farming, yeast

is grown in highly automated, tightly controlled stainless steel

fermenters.The preferred source of carbohydrate for yeast is sugar from

molasses. Molasses is the by-product of the refining of sugar beets and

sugar cane. Cane molasses or beet molasses can be used however, some

yeast manufacturers prefer a mixture of the two kinds.

*

RAW MATERIALS / PREPARATION

*Prior to the start of the production process, the molasses must be

diluted, clarified, pH adjusted and sterilized. This process provides a

consistent feed material important for yeast growth that is free from

unwanted microbes or foreign material. Along with molasses, nitrogen,

phosphate and essentials nutrients must be provided to the yeast to

assure the yeast is uniform and of the highest quality. These materials

are purchased from vendors who meet the strict specifications

established for the various materials.

*

SEED FERMENTATION

*Specifically selected strains of non-genetically modified Saccharomyces

cerevisiae are maintained in our Quality Control laboratories. The

strains we use are selected with care according to the type of yeast to

be produced and the specific characteristics desired. All cultures are

laboratory pure, all transfers are made with absolute sterility and all

vessels are completely sterilized. The seed yeast is placed in small

flasks where it is allowed to grow. It is then transferred in a series

of steps from the small flasks to tanks of about 1,000 gallons in

volume. Now known as stock yeast, it is separated from the fermenter

broth generated during the fermentation, and stored in refrigerated

tanks as " seed " for our large " Trade " fermentaions.

*TRADE FERMENTATION

*Trade fermentations are run in fermenters that are much larger than

those used for our seed fermentations. 60,000-gallon vessels are used

for this step of the process. Clean portable water is added to the trade

fermenter as " Set Water " . Seed yeast from the previous step is added to

the set water. We than feed molasses, along with required nutrients, in

the presence of large quantities of air. The temperature and pH of the

fermentation is carefully controlled throughout the fermentation cycle,

which runs for a predetermined number of hours. We then harvest the yeast.

*HARVESTING

*The harvesting is nothing more than concentrating and washing the yeast

cells by passing the fermented liquid through large centrifugal pumps

called separators. The result is off-white liquid called cream yeast.

Further processing is dependent on the type of yeast desired.

*FORTIFICATION & PASTEURIZATION

*The nutritional " yeast cream " is heated by means of a heat exchanger

and held at pasteurization temperatures for a period long enough to kill

the yeast. During this holding period, the necessary vitamins, and/or

minerals are added to meet the requirements of the specific type of

nutritional yeast produced. The yeast is then drum-dried before it is

ground and shipped to consumers. Also, depending on the product and

customer specifications, vitamins and or minerals may be added to the

" yeast cream " prior to pasteurization. Some of our mineral yeast

products are manufactured by adding trace minerals during the

fermentation process resulting in an organically bound mineral status,

example, Red Star Selenium Yeast.Nutritional yeast is marketed for its

protein, vitamin and mineral content and has no leavening power. The

drying process assures all the cells are killed in order for the full

nutritional benefits to be available.

--

Peace, love and light,

Don Quai

" Spirit sleeps in the mineral, breathes in the vegetable, dreams in the animal

and wakes in man. "