Production of Acrylamide-Preventing Yeast Pushed Forward Thanks to New Partnership

Yeast-based ingredients developer Functional Technologies (Vancouver) says it has entered a partnership with an unnamed “global industry leader in yeast production and technologies” for commercial-grade production of Functional Technologies’ Acryleast ingredient. Acryleast is said to be an acrylamide-preventing yeast. The company says it has been demonstrated to prevent or reduce the formation of acrylamide, which the firm says is a carcinogenic as well as a reproductive and neurological toxic byproduct that is prevalent in many widely consumed food products.

Functional Technologies says the new partnership will enable it to begin manufacturing Acryleast so that pilot-scale volumes can be produced and shipped to the company’s food-processing collaborators, which the firm says includes some of the world’s largest and most recognized multinational food companies. Functional Technologies says that, under the agreement, it has already shipped commercial strains of Acryleast to its new partner for scale production. Additionally, the new partner now has nonexclusive rights to obtain an exclusive license to commercialize Acryleast technology for specific food sectors.

Functional Technologies says the production of Acryleast with its new partner will further enable food processors to conduct their own pilot testing to confirm the efficacy of Acryleast under commercial processing conditions.