F Figure 1: Selenium yeast production process at Lallemand yeast plant in Grenaa
SELENIUM YEAST
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Discussing antioxidant strategies and Selenium yeast production secrets by Lallemand Animal Nutrition
o mark the launch of the newly authorised formulation of its premium Selenium enriched yeast, ALKOSEL R397 3000, Lallemand Animal Nutrition recently hosted its “Antioxidant Days” in Grenaa, Denmark, home of the company’s yeast plant. Participants from all over Europe gathered for this technical seminar dedicated to the understanding of oxidative stress in animal production and the use and applications of antioxidant solutions ALKOSEL and Melofeed in animal nutrition. The event closed on a tour of the yeast plant where participants got an insight of selenium enriched yeast production process.
What is Selenium enriched yeast?
Kaspar Kevvai, R&D Project Manager at the Center of Food and Fermentation Technologies, in Tallinn, Estonia, is an expert in yeast fermentation processes and he shared his knowledge on selenium-enriched yeast production. Selenium-enriched yeast, or Se yeast is baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) that contains high levels of organic selenium (Se) compounds such as selenomethionine and selenocysteine. As he explains, yeast itself does not need Se and contains little of it. To produce Se yeast, inorganic selenium compound, such as sodium selenite, is gradually added to the yeast growth medium. The growing cells organically incorporate selenium atoms within amino acids in place of sulphur (selenomethionine or selenocysteine) (Figure 1). Hence, the production of Se yeast is a delicate process.
Figure 1
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1 LALLEMAND YEAST CULTURE COLLECTION (MONTRÉAL)
2 INOCULUM PREPARATION (LABORATORY)
3 SEED FERMENTATIONS
4 INDUSTRIAL FERMENTATION
5 HARVEST OF THE BIOMASS
6 YEAST CREAM STORAGE
9 PACKAGING
58 | November 2017 - Milling and Grain
8 DRYING
7 PASTEURIZATION