What are Yeast Extracts?
Yeast is a single cell micro-organism (fungus) that converts sugar and starch into carbon dioxide bubbles and alcohol. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is commonly known as bakers or brewers yeast. The yeast ferments sugars present in the flour or added to the dough, giving off carbon dioxide (CO2), which inflates the dough during proof and the early stages of baking. Alcohol (ethanol) is also produced but this is burnt off during the baking process. The bubbles in sparkling wines such as Champagne are trapped CO2, the result of yeast fermenting sugars in the grape juice. One yeast cell can ferment approximately its own weight of glucose per hour, giving rise to large volumes of CO2! Yeast extracts are obtained by biological methods from the protein-rich cell sap of especially suitable bakers yeasts. This extract is rich in valuable amino acids and vitamin B complex, nucleotides and other useful cell constituents. Yeast extracts are used as natural flavour enhancers in many foods; they offer a
