Erythritol from grape must

Hijosa-Valsero M, Garita-Cambronero J, Paniagua-García AI, Díez-Antolínez R (2021) By-products of sugar factories and wineries as feedstocks for erythritol generation. Food and Bioproducts Processing 126, 345-355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbp.2021.02.001.

Abstract: Erythritol – a polyol suitable for human nutrition – is industrially produced by microorganisms from costly glucose-rich or starch-rich feedstocks. However, the utilization of sugary by-products from food industries could significantly reduce process costs. This study examined erythritol production from sugarcane molasses, beet molasses and surplus grape musts, by comparing four fungal strains. Beet molasses presented toxic effects on microorganisms, which hampered erythritol production to a certain extent. Moniliella pollinis attained erythritol production yields of 0.239 ± 0.001 g/g from sugarcane molasses (106.40 ± 0.42 g/L erythritol), 0.229 ± 0.003 g/g from beet molasses (57.78 ± 1.52 g/L), 0.362 ± 0.005 g/g from red grape must (96.26 ± 1.31 g/L) and 0.383 ± 0.004 g/g from rosé grape must (92.84 ± 0.98 g/L), with nearly total sugar consumption in 6–9 days. In comparison, control tests with a valuable feedstock (beet syrup) reached erythritol yields of 0.327 ± 0.009 g/g (126.78 ± 3.21 g/L). Therefore, erythritol production could be considered as a viable route in certain food industries aiming at market diversification.

Link to journal article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbp.2021.02.001.

Link to open access repository (preprint version): https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4423233.