Nutritional yeast is made by culturing yeast in a nutrient-rich environment, followed by heating, harvesting, drying, and packaging.
The Nutritional Yeast Production Process
Here's a breakdown of the steps involved in making nutritional yeast:
- Culturing the Yeast: Nutritional yeast is produced by culturing yeast in a nutrient medium for several days. This allows the yeast to grow and multiply.
- Nutrient Medium: The primary ingredient in the growth medium is glucose. This glucose typically comes from either sugarcane or beet molasses, providing the yeast with the necessary food to thrive.
- Deactivation: When the yeast has reached the desired point of growth, it is killed (deactivated) using heat. This process stops the yeast from further growth and gives nutritional yeast its non-living form.
- Harvesting: After deactivation, the yeast is harvested from the nutrient medium.
- Washing: The harvested yeast is then washed to remove any remaining residue from the growth medium.
- Drying: Next, the yeast is dried, often using a drum dryer, which removes moisture and creates the flaky texture characteristic of nutritional yeast.
- Packaging: Finally, the dried nutritional yeast is packaged and ready for distribution and consumption.
In summary, the production of nutritional yeast involves carefully controlled fermentation, followed by processes to deactivate, clean, and dry the yeast, resulting in a nutritious and flavorful product.
