An analysis of emerging food safety and fraud risks of novel insect proteins within complex supply chains

Abstract

This study assessed Rhodotorula paludigena CM33s growth and ?-carotene production in a 22-L bioreactor for potential use as an aquatic animal feed supplement. Optimizing the feed mediums micronutrient concentration for high-cell-density fed-batch cultivation using glucose as the carbon source yielded biomass of 89.84 g/L and ?-carotene concentration of 251.64 mg/L. Notably, using sucrose as the carbon source in feed medium outperforms glucose feeds, resulting in a ?-carotene concentration of 285.00 mg/L with a similar biomass of 87.78 g/L. In the fed-batch fermentation using Sucrose Feed Medium, R. paludigena CM33 exhibited high biomass production rates (Qx) of 0.91 g/L.h and remarkable ?-carotene production rates (Qp) of 2.97 mg/L.h. In vitro digestibility assays showed that R. paludigena CM33, especially when cultivated using sucrose, enhances protein digestibility affirming its suitability as an aquatic feed supplement. Furthermore, R. paludigena CM33s nutrient-rich profile and probiotic potential make it an attractive option for aquatic nutrition. This research highlights the importance of cost-effective carbon sources in large-scale ?-carotene production for aquatic animal nutrition. ? The Author(s) 2024.