Autolyzed Yeast
Autolyzed yeast (containing the cell walls) or autolyzed yeast extract consists of concentrations of yeast cells that are allowed to die and break up, so that the yeasts’ endogenous digestive enzymes break their proteins down into simpler compounds (amino acids and peptides).
Yeast autolysates are used in Vegemite (Australia), Marmite, Promite, Oxo (New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, and Republic of Ireland), Cenovis (Switzerland) and Vitam-R (Germany). Bovril (United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland) switched from beef extract to yeast extract for 2005 and most of 2006, but later switched back.
The general method for making yeast extract for food products such as Vegemite and Marmite on a commercial scale is to add sodium chloride (salt) to a suspension of yeast, making the solution hypertonic, which leads to the cells shrivelling up; this triggers autolysis, in which the yeast self-destructs. The dying yeast cells are then heated to complete their breakdown, after which the husks (yeast with thick cell walls) are separated. Removing the cell walls concentrates the flavors and changes the texture.
One common commercial use of yeast extract is as a flavor enhancer in processed food products, including vegetarian and vegan foods.
Read more about this topic: Yeast Extract
Famous quotes containing the word yeast:
“Blues is to jazz what yeast is to bread—without it, it’s flat.”
—Carmen McRae (b. 1922)