Vegan Protein Yeastin Shows Outstanding Life Cycle Assessment Sustainability

A research conducted at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) evaluated the environmental effect of burger patty production. A burger prepared from proteins derived from wasted brewer's yeast (BSY) was compared to ordinary beef and a vegan patty. According to the ISO 14040 ff Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Yeastin® may lower the environmental footprint of a 113g burger patty by 74–81%, depending on the indicator analysed.

The Institute for Ecopreneurship at the FHNW has produced amazing study results: a vegan burger patty manufactured with Yeastin® protein by Yeastup has an even less ecological impact than one created with pea protein. The manufacture of pea protein had the highest environmental effect (19–45%) on the typical vegan burger, but the meat in the beef patty had an impact of 84–98%. Comparatively, the environmental impacts of the Yeastup option were much lower than those of the beef patty, probably because to the increased global warming potential (GWP) of beef production.

Daniel Gnos, the creator of Yeastup AG, sees an additional enormous benefit: "Due to the utilisation of an industrial by-product, Yeastin® does not need arable land, cultivation, irrigation, or pesticides. This is an obvious environmental advantage over animal and plant sources."

Environmentally and Nutritionally Beneficial Alternative

56% of Yeastinenvironmental ®'s footprint was related to the animal feed replacement that substitutes the brewer's leftover yeast in its prior usage, which must be accounted for in accordance with the basic rules for the development of an ecological footprint (PEF). Comparatively, Yeastup protein has an 81% lower environmental effect, 74% fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and an 80% lower cumulative energy consumption than pea protein. Yeastin® has the potential to become a viable alternative to animal and plant-based proteins owing to its substantially less environmental impact and superior nutritional qualities.

It is a high-grade protein powder that is pure and of good quality and, most importantly, has a neutral flavour. In addition, its nutritional profile is comparable to that of animal proteins. Initial laboratory experiments of protein compositions including Yeastin® also revealed intriguing functional characteristics. Also, there are countless application options, ranging from meat and cheese replacements to sports nutrition products.

Gnos feels that his team is providing the food business with an innovative and vegan alternative protein source: "In our LCA analysis, we examined the environmental effect of manufacturing protein from BSY and incorporating it into burger patties," he says. "With these findings, we want to illustrate to our present and prospective project partners in the food sector the potential environmental advantages of employing proteins obtained from a high-quality brewery waste using a worldwide standard."