Microbial Biotechnology in Food and Health

Ramesh C. Ray

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780128198131
• eBook ISBN: 9780128227619
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Biotechnology
• Index: Biological Sciences

Microbial Biotechnology in Food and Health Science, volume one in the Applied Biotechnology Reviews series, offers two unique sections within the theme of genomics and bioprocessing and the bioengineering of microorganisms in the role of food science and human health. This volume provides review articles as the basis supporting biotechnological research useful to a wide scope of research initiatives. Important relevant information on genomics, proteomics and metabolomics are included as well as the emerging interdisciplinary area of synthetic biology which enables the metabolic engineering of microorganisms to produce pharmaceuticals.Applied Biotechnology Reviews is a series aimed at bringing all aspects of biotechnology as it is applied to food science – from agriculture through product processing into focus through topical volumes. Each volume will cover a relevant application approach in industrial biotechnology.- Covers the latest biotechnological research articles on applications of microbes for food and health science- Presents research articles to emphasize research methods and techniques useful for research outcomes- Analysis detoxification properties of microorganisms in foods- Includes methods of bioengineering of microbes to improve human insulin synthesis/recombinant protein

1: Microbial biotechnology in food and health: present and future food safety regulation

Md Latiful Bari, and Sharmin Zaman Center for Advanced Research in Sciences, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

Morbidity and mortality resulting from the consumption of microbial contaminated foods remain significant problems in modern society, and the ability to conduct epidemiological investigations and intervene in foodborne illnesses is a critical part of the existing public health infrastructure. Ensuring safe food supply is a major challenge to the food industry, and there are several factors that can impact the likelihood of contamination and subsequent diseases. These factors include increased consumers' demand for minimally processed, ready-to-eat convenience foods and imported and ethnic foods, the globalization of the food industry, significant changes in the methods used to control microbial spoilage, and changing population demographics. Despite significant efforts by all parties involved, there is still a considerable burden of foodborne illness, in which microorganisms play a prominent role. Microbes can enter the food chain at different steps, are highly versatile, and can adapt to the environment allowing survival, growth, and production of toxic compounds that necessitates the study of food toxicology. Management of food safety till today is based on generally accepted principles of hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) and good manufacturing practices (GMP). However, a more proactive, science-based approach is required, starting with the ability to predict where problems might arise by applying the risk analysis framework. In this chapter, several advanced technologies and their critical understanding of the epidemiology, pathogenic mechanisms, virulence factors, and other salient characteristics of the major foodborne pathogens were discussed. In addition, the convergence of expanded scientific knowledge and technological advances that create new opportunities for the detection, identification, and monitoring of microbial contamination in food were also described. Finally, the impacts of new genomics research in ensuring food safety were highlighted.

Keywords

Food safety assessment; Food safety principle; Future perspectives; Microbial cell factories; Microbial genomics; Qualified presumption of food safety

1.1. Introduction

Microbial biotechnology is defined as any technological application that uses microbiological systems, microbial organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use (Okafor, 2016).Traditional biotechnological processes (such as classical mutagenesis and conjugation) and recombinant gene technology have been widely applied for the genetic improvement of the microbial cultures for use in food fermentations, despite food safety regulatory control, and consumers concern exist. To date, no commercial GM (genetically modified) microorganisms that would be consumed as living organisms exist. However, products of industrial GM producer organisms are widely used in food processing, and no major safety concerns have been raised against them. Production of enzymes and various food-processing ingredients such as monosodium glutamate, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and amino acids are produced using GM microbial cultures. Rennet which is widely used as a starter in cheese production across the globe is produced using GM bacteria. Thailand currently makes use of GM Escherichia coli as an inoculant in lysine production. Many industrially important enzymes such as α-amylase, gluco-amylase, lipase and pectinase, and biobased fine chemicals, such as lactic acid, amino acids, antibiotics, nucleic acid, and polysaccharides, are produced in China using GM starter cultures. Other developing countries which currently produce enzymes using recombinant microorganisms include Cuba, Brazil, India, and Argentina (FAO, 2010). In addition, ingredients derived from microbial fermentation or extracted from microalgae are steadily gaining ground in the food industries (Dufossé, 2018). Thickening or gelling agents (e.g., polysaccharides such as xanthan, curdlan, gellan), flavor enhancers (yeast hydrolysate, monosodium glutamate), lipids (polyunsaturated fatty acids—PUFAs, sterols), flavor compounds (gamma-decalactone, diacetyl, methyl ketones), vitamins, essential amino acids, pigments/colorants (carotenoids, azaphilones) (Dufossé et al., 2014; Venil et al., 2014), surfactants, and acidulants (lactic acid, citric acid) are currently produced using GM microorganisms (Yin et al., 2017; Kamzolovaet al., 2015).

Despite all these above-mentioned product developments, many advanced technological developments also occurred that may influence food safety in future on different scales (from global to molecular) and in different time frames (from decades to less than a minute). This necessitates development of new risk assessment approaches, taking the impact of different drivers of change into account, requiring active governmental policy setting and other drivers may decrease food safety risks. Recent molecular techniques developments make it possible to rapidly assemble information on the genome of various isolates of microbial species of concern. Such information can be used to develop new tracking and tracing methods, and to investigate the behavior of microorganisms under environmentally relevant stress conditions. These novel tools and its insight need to be applied to objectives for food safety strategies, as well as to models that predict microbial behavior (Havelaar et al., 2010). Monitoring of contamination in the food chain combined with surveillance of human illness and epidemiological investigations of outbreaks and sporadic cases continue to be important sources of information (EPA, 1997). In addition, the increasing complexity of the global food systems necessitates improved communication between all parties involved: scientists, risk assessors and risk managers, as well as consumers.

1.2. Microbial cell factories

Microbial cell factory is an approach to bioengineering which considers microbial cells as a production facility in which the optimization process largely depends on metabolic engineering. Many recent articles emphasize the power of microorganisms which are able to modify, to improve the properties of many food products or by-products; for example:

• ➢ Production from whey of peptides with bacterial antivirulence effects (Ali et al., 2019);
• ➢ Wheat, rice, corn, and amaranth flour proteins treated with microbial transglutaminase, followed by immunoreactivity testing of gluten-sensitized sera toward modified flours (Scarnato et al., 2019);
• ➢ Bioconversion of beet molasses to alpha-galactosidase and ethanol (Álvarez-Cao et al., 2019);
• ➢ Production of fructo-oligosaccharides from aguamiel, the sap from agave plants (Picazo et al., 2019); or
• ➢ Degradation of toxic steroidal glycoalkaloids from potato juice, a by-product of the potato industry, of the starch processing (Hennessy et al., 2018).

Furthermore, the scientists emphasize the crucial role of microorganisms currently playing and are likely to continue to play in future as microbial cell factories for the production of food grade components and biobased ingredients. This is due to the versatility in their metabolic pathways and biochemical profiles, amenability for easy large-scale cultivation, and a long history of production by well-investigated production strains. Efforts have been made to reduce the production costs of components produced by algal ponds and microbial fermentation, since synthetic ones or those extracted from natural plant sources can often be produced more economically. Fungi, yeasts, bacteria, and microalgae are considered as promising living organisms for sustainable, large-scale production of commodities such as food, feed, chemicals, materials, and biofuels. Joseph et al. (2...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Contributors
• 1. Microbial biotechnology in food and health: present and future food safety regulation
• 2. Insights into the role of yeasts in alcoholic beverages
• 3. The impact of biotechnology on dairy industry
• 4. Detoxification properties of microorganisms in foods
• 5. Microbial bioprocessing of health promoting food supplements
• 6. The lipases and their applications with emphasis on food industry
• 7. Biogenic amines in fermented vegetables: food safety issues
• 8. Nanobiotechnology applications in food sector and future innovations
• 9. Perspectives of microbial hyaluronic acid utilization in wound healing
• 10. Recent advancements in fermentation studies for lovastatin biosynthesis
• Index