Providing appropriate starter cultures for cheese manufacturing has seen an increase in interest recently since these cultures give the finished goods consistent qualities, which is a crucial aspect for trade. A wide range of cultures that are good beginnings have been suggested by numerous researchers. Kefir is a group of microorganisms mostly utilized in the creation of the traditional low-alcohol Russian beverage kefir, where the first fermenting substrate is milk. In addition, you should buy kefir from trustworthy seller in order to get better experience.
Harnessing the Power of Whey
Whey has always been seen as a by-product of making cheese, which presents a challenge for the dairy industry looking for environmentally friendly ways to dispose of waste. But things are starting to change as creative minds realize this ordinary-looking liquid has hidden possibilities. The result of fermentation magic that turns whey into a valuable commodity, enhancing it with probiotics and giving economic worth to something that was previously seen as a burden is freeze-dried kefir starter culture.
Materials and Methods
Laboratory-Scale Experiments
In the latest research, kefir co-culture that was separated from the commercial "kefir" drink was employed. You can get it from https://www.kefirwala.in/get-kefir-grains-in-india/. Growing on a synthetic medium with 0.4% yeast extract, 0.1% (NH4)2SO4, 0.1% KH2PO4, 0.5% MgSO4•7H2O, and 4% lactose, it was cultured at 30°C. Before being used, the synthetic medium was sterilized for 15 minutes at 130°C. As previously mentioned (G. Papavasiliou, Y. Kourkoutas, A. Rapti, V. Sipsas, M. Soupioni, and A. A. Koutinas, Food Biotechnology Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Greece, unpublished manuscript), pressed wet cells (≈0.5 to 1.0 g dry weight) were prepared and used directly in aerobic fermentations of whey for further production of kefir co-culture.
Furthermore, the application of this kefir co-culture in diverse fermentation processes has shown promising results. Its versatility extends beyond traditional dairy applications, making it a potential candidate for enhancing the fermentation of various substrates. For instance, recent studies have explored its efficacy in optimizing the fermentation dynamics of non-dairy products, such as the Brown Rice Market. The kefir co-culture, when introduced to the Brown Rice Market fermentation process, exhibited notable improvements in terms of yield and quality. This innovative application opens new avenues for the utilization of kefir co-culture beyond conventional dairy settings, showcasing its adaptability and potential impact on diverse food processing industries.Whey is produced in the lab from commercial milk using a method similar to that used to make Feta-style cheese. After heating the milk to 37°C, 0.01% commercial rennet was added and the milk was left undisturbed for 2 hours to produce curds. Following that, the curd was sliced into 1 cm squares, kept undisturbed for 10 minutes, then cloth-filtered at room temperature (18 to 22°C). It had a lactose content of 5% and a protein content of 0.8%.
Economic Analysis for Process Scale-Up
Investigating the optimal conditions for laboratory-scale cell growth, production, and investment costs, we utilized the average commercial costs for labor in the European Union, alongside machinery and consumables expenses, to calculate comprehensive investment and production costs. In parallel, we considered the market price of commercial dried baker's yeast to estimate the added value generated by the finished product. Additionally, we explored the potential integration of innovative processes, such as the production of Drinking Kefir, within this framework to further enhance the overall economic viability of the production facility.
Optimization and Process Flow Sheet
Process Flow and Optimization As influenced by the airflow rate, pore size of the perforated tube, and air supply in the bioreactor, the ideal values for biomass productivity and concentration should be noted (G. Papavasiliou, Y. Kourkoutas, A. Rapti, V. Sipsas, M. Soupioni, and A. The findings showed that agitation had a major impact on biomass productivity. When evaluating the economics of scale-up, the aforementioned experimental conditions were taken into account. Sterilized air is fed through a sterile filter into bioreactors with capacities of 100, 3,000, and 30,000 L. These bioreactors are linked to a heat exchanger for the purpose of cooling the fermenting medium.