[2] A distinguishing feature of the species and its close relatives are the intense yellow and red pigments produced during growth on most substrates.

[citation needed] It normally grows at 37 °C at a rapid rate, and requires a minimum water activity of 0.92, pH of 2.2, and organic acids or HCl.

Accordingly, it is not uncommon to recover it in cultures of cereals, flour, malting barley, dough, citrus products, olives and soaking soybeans.

[2] Due to its rapid growth at refrigerator temperatures, it is encountered sometimes as a spoilage agent in dairy products such as yogurts, cheeses, butter, and fresh and processed meats, vegetables and seafoods.

[8] Given a suitable culture medium, an optimal yield of carotenoid could in theory be attained from cheap substrates such as beet molasses, peat extract, and grape must.

[8][9] An R. glutinis mutant (NCIM 3253) was shown to produce 76-fold more b-carotene than their wild type relatives,[8] suggesting that these microorganisms may have a role in cost-effective, high yield manufacture of carotenoids.

Recent studies have also shown that 16 strains of R. glutinis possess antibacterial and antioxidant properties, although it is unclear if the fungus could be used to manufacture these materials on a commercially viable scale.

[12] Its occasional recovery from stool has led to the suggestion that it exists as a periodic, clinically insignificant colonist of the distal gut.

[12] Rhodotorula species are the most commonly isolated yeasts found on hands of hospital workers, suggesting a potential reservoir for the agent.

[12][14] This observation, combined with its high tolerance for extreme conditions may partially explain its rare appearance as an opportunistic agent of blood infection in seriously ill people.