Bacterial celullose - Another efective fat substitute

Bacterial celullose

Today´s topic is bacterial cellulose, which is produced by Gluconacetobacter xylinus and discovered in 1886 by A.J. Brown. This organism is Gram negative, has high tolerance to acid conditions, strictly aerobe and non photosynthetic. Bacterial cellulose possesses the same chemical structureetter water absorption/retention and higher biological adaptability.

This bacterial cellulose possesses great potential  in various sectors like:

• ·         Food industry
• ·         Health industry (artificial veins)
• ·         Waste treatment
• ·         Pharmaceutical industry
• ·         Etc.

Cheese is a possible application of
Bacterial celullose

One of the oldest applications is in the food industry with the production coco cream, a food product popular in Asian countries. Its production is dated to start in 1949. In 1992 bacterial cellulose was inserted in light beverages in Japan.

At this post we will discuss the application of bacterial cellulose in the cheese industry.

Studies are being made to apply bacterial cellulose to cheeses. The objective of the insertion is to try to substitute the fat present in cheeses while preserving the texture of the cheese.

With this, it may be possible in a near future to create low fat cheese with a texture similar to an original one. But a problem arises, will the flavor and all others organoleptic properties be the same? Well that’s what the studies will tell.