Food & Feed Improvement Agents

With annual sales of around € 165 billion and growth rates of 10% and more, the food industry is one of the most important German branches of industry. Biotechnologically produced foods have always been of outstanding importance. In Germany, around 10 billion liters of beer and around 2 billion liters of wine are drunk every year. Also for the production of e.g. Yoghurt, cheese, sauerkraut, baked goods, tempeh or soy sauce are essential enzymatic or fermentative processes. While the production of the foods mentioned is mostly based on traditional experience, modern biotechnological and molecular biological methods open up the possibility of fundamentally understanding the biochemical relationships. Starting with the elucidation of metabolic pathways or the enzymes and gene clusters involved, strategies can be developed to make food safer, healthier and tastier. In view of the growing world population, climate change and the increasing competition for renewable raw materials to meet energy needs, food must also be produced in a more resource-efficient manner in the future. Sustainable solutions for the food and feed industry are therefore pursued within the “Biotechnology of Food & Feed Improvement Agents” department.