Probiotics and plant-based fermentation, the plant-based concept is very popular and has full development potential

In recent years, plant-based products have grown rapidly due to their healthy and nutritious image. The global plant-based market size will increase from US$18 billion in 2013 to US$22.9 billion in 2023, and 78% of Chinese consumers believe that plant-based diets are a trend.

Regarding the problems existing in plant beverages, we can try to solve some of them through fermentation technology. Although there are many types of fermentation, such as sorghum wine fermented by yeast, vinegar fermented by acetic acid bacteria, etc., their application in plant-based beverages is relatively limited. In comparison, lactic acid bacteria fermentation has greater development space and application prospects.

Probiotic empowering plant-based upgrade

Lactic acid bacteria fermentation has a wide range of applications in the food field. The most common ones include yogurt, lactic acid bacteria drinks and cheese. In addition, there are many other lactic acid bacteria fermented products, such as fermented fruit and vegetable juices and fermented kimchi, etc., demonstrating the broad application potential of lactic acid bacteria fermentation in the food industry.

Benefits of Lactobacillus Fermentation for Plant-Based Beverages

1. Extend the shelf life: Fermentation produces an acidic environment, lowers the pH value, and helps inhibit the growth of microorganisms, thereby extending the shelf life of the product.

2. Increase the vitamins required by the human body: During the reproduction and metabolism process of microorganisms, they produce vitamins that the human body cannot synthesize by itself.

3. Improve digestion and absorption: Fermentation is equivalent to a pre-digestion process, which helps the body to digest and absorb nutrients more easily.

4. Improve the balance of intestinal flora: Active lactic acid bacteria products help improve the balance of intestinal flora and promote health.

5. Flavor and texture changes: The fermentation process can bring unique aroma and texture changes, improving the taste of the product.

6. Reduce anti-nutritional factors: The fermentation process can reduce anti-nutritional factors in plant-based raw materials and improve the availability of nutrients.

Wecare probiotic strain solution

Plant-based ingredients have broad application prospects in fermented beverages. Here we provide a brief overview of the process challenges for each product type and the path to culture solutions

1. In terms of the industrialization of fermented soy milk, we found that there are many challenges, such as beany smell, fermentation acid production, texture and other issues. Weikang Probiotics has successfully developed a new strain PLF101. The PLF101 strain is in the fermentation metabolism process. Medium can reduce the beany smell, increase the production of extracellular polysaccharides, and bring a silky taste and superior texture to fermented soy milk. Probiotic strain PLF-201 can tolerate lower pH values and produce acid with a higher total acidity. During the secondary blending process, less citric acid or lactic acid needs to be added, making the product taste softer and richer.

2. The fermented coconut milk strain PLF-102 has very strong fat metabolism activity and can produce high levels of extracellular polysaccharides. The strain produces relatively single acid and does not introduce too many odors. It helps to accurately control fermentation conditions to ensure Product quality and taste: PLF-102 fermented coconut milk has a rich aroma, is dense and smooth, and has high stability.

3. Wecare’s strain PLF-103 is specially customized for oat fermentation. Since oats themselves lack a distinctive flavor, we choose strains with strong flavors and strong protein decomposition capabilities to ensure the pure aroma of oats and blend it with the aroma of oats themselves.

4. PE331, a special bacterial strain for fruit and vegetable fermentation, is a highly active concentrated freeze-dried bacterial powder selected from patented lactic acid bacteria. This strain can quickly acidify fruit and vegetable juices (slurry) and give them a good fermentation flavor, and is suitable for the fermentation of all types of fruit and vegetable juices (slurry). It is worth mentioning that fermented fruit and vegetable juices do not require additional sugar and can quickly acidify and maintain their freshness.

5. Wecare probiotic strain PLF-103 has very strong fat metabolism activity and can produce high-yield extracellular polysaccharides, which makes the rice rich in flavor, acidity and flavor changes stable during the shelf life. After the rice is fermented, the nutrients and bioactive substances in the rice milk have undergone significant changes. Bioactive substances that produce flavonoids, these substances have strong antioxidant effects and can effectively scavenge free radicals and prevent oxidative damage.

6. The special strain PE335 for fermented tea is selected and suitable for tea-based lactic acid bacteria. After careful compounding, it can achieve rapid fermentation, safe acidification, provide biological preservation properties and pleasant fermented tea aroma, and can be used with yeast and acetic acid bacteria for fermentation. in the making of kombucha.

Wecare probiotics are specially developed for fermented plant-based PLF and PE series strains.

Wecare probiotic PLF-series can help plant drinks obtain differentiated flavors and textures, while PE-series brings strong acid production speed, rich smell, and improved taste and texture. The company provides multiple groups of probiotic compound strain strategies. The strains can be used in plant-based materials to ensure their viable bacterial count and stability in the product, while providing stable performance and pure flavor. Wecare probiotics provide beverage companies with fermented plant-based bacterial strains and jointly expand the fermented plant-based beverage market.