[6][7] A number of other substances found in yeast extract provide aromas, some meat-like, when allowed to react under heat.
[8] The heat-autolytic process to make yeast extract of the autolysate type was invented in the 19th century by Justus von Liebig.
[13] In terms of fermentation, spent beer yeast is commonly contaminated with the bitter compounds from hops, requiring a "debittering" step to wash out most of this undesired flavor.
Cell wall is usually sold in two parts: the glucans as "yeast β-glucan" and the mannans further processed into mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS).
[18] Yeast extract products derived from plant feedstock are by definition vegan and kosher–pareve, although some consumers prefer extra certification.
Vegemite (/ˈvɛdʒɪmaɪt/ VEJ-i-myte)[28][29] is a thick, dark brown Australian food spread made from leftover brewers' yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives.
The Vegemite brand was owned by Mondelez International (formerly Kraft Foods Inc.)[30] until January 2017, when it was acquired by the Australian Bega Cheese group in a US$460,000,000 (equivalent to about $572,000,000 in 2023) agreement for full Australian ownership after Bega would buy most of Mondelez International's Australia and New Zealand grocery and cheese business.
Vegemite is salty, slightly bitter, malty, and rich in glutamates giving it an umami flavour similar to beef bouillon.
[32] Marmite (/ˈmɑːrmaɪt/ MAR-myte) is a food spread produced in New Zealand by Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company and distributed in Australia and the Pacific.
They later began manufacturing Marmite under licence in Christchurch, albeit using a modified version of the original recipe, most notable for its inclusion of sugar and caramel.
Vitam-R is a savory yeast extract spread made in Hameln, Germany, by the company Vitam Hefe-Produkt GmbH.
It was first developed by Rückforth AG in Stettin (today's Szczecin, Poland) in 1925,[33][34] following the discovery by Justus von Liebig that yeast could be concentrated.
It was developed in Rheinfelden in 1931, on the initiative of a master brewer named Alex Villinger,[38] and was subsequently produced by the company Cenovis SA.
[39] Rich in proteins and nucleotides, it currently finds use in animal feed[40] and microbiology (see yeast extract agar) as nutritional supplements.