Functional Technologies commences food trials with acrylamide-preventing yeasts

US-based Functional Technologies has commenced evaluation food trials to confirm the efficacy of its acrylamide-preventing (AP) yeast technology for a leading European producer with global reach. The producer, yet to be named, produces intermediary starch-based food products, including extruded snack food pellets, which are purchased and integrated by numerous downstream food manufacturers into a variety of other food products. These downstream food manufacturers represent many brand leaders in the processed food industries. The producer is supplying a variety of materials used in non-bread-related food applications for the trials.

Functional Technologies recently announced third-generation AP yeast technology will be employed. The company anticipates that results will surpass the level of, and timing required for, efficacy that was previously attained in the products of another leading European food producer using Functional Technology’s first-generation technology.

The determination of efficacy will be conducted under simulated commercial conditions and product manufacturing protocols specified by the producer supplying the materials for trial, in which yeast is both traditionally and non-traditionally employed. This provides Functional Technologies with valuable opportunities to optimise the conditions and parameters under which its proprietary AP yeast platform is most effective.

“Functional Technologies continues to generate validating commercial interest in its yeast platforms, endorsing the appeal of its acrylamide-preventing technologies as a potentially valuable strategy to mitigate the risk of this food contaminant,” said Howard Louie, CEO and Chairman of Functional Technologies.

“This collaboration also speaks to the opportunity for the company’s proprietary yeasts to have critical impact in a wide range of food applications, which is enabled, in part, by the platform nature of our technologies in being able to address any number of yeast strains to suit the various needs of end-user food producers across multiple sectors.”