PepsiCo R&D: Discovery and application Scientist

Suja Senan, Associate Principal Scientist

School: Anand Agricultural University - B Tech and PhD

National Dairy Research Institute – MS(Dairy Microbiology)

South Dakota State University - Post Doctoral Research Associate

Years at PepsiCo: 1.6

Roles: Senior Scientist – Kerry Inc - 1.8 years

Assistant Professor - 8 years

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Clean label fermented

product

Probitoicfermented drinks

Fermented Fruit and veg juices

PepsiCo Life Science: Nutrition Scientist

Mary Brauchla, Sr Scientist

School: Emory University – BS and MPH

Purdue University – PhD Nutrition Science

Previous roles: Project Coordinator, Emory Medical Genetics

Years at PepsiCo: 4.5

Roles: Global F&V research – 4 years

North America Nutrition Translation- 9 months

Juice + fiber product in

UK

Tropicana Kids

pouches

Current responsibilities

US-based

research

Affordable

nutrition

Global

research

Nutrition

education

Policy

translation

Ingredient

scoping

New product

concepts

Substantiating

ingredient

claims

Business

support

Science of

Fermentation

The views expressed are those of the presenter and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of PepsiCo, Inc.

Fermented foods: oldest processed food

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From Latin ferveō, meaning to boil

Fermentation is as old as humanity

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18th Dynasty, Location: Tombs of Nobles,

Luxor-Thebes, Egypt

Heritage sites found early grinding stones and baking

chambers for making yeasted bread

Wine making Bread making

Fermentation is as old as humanity

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Libyan desert 3000 BC artwork depictions of cattle

being milked, and bags of cheese draining on racks

Bulgarians know for their longevity, consumed yogurt

containing Lactobacillus bulgaricus as a dietary staple

Cheese making Functional milks

Origin of fermented foods from around the world

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Pulque

Chicha

Blaand

Crème Fraiche

Sauerkraut

Bread & ACV

Gari & Fufu

Kefir

Flowers & Fruit Drink

Pickled F&V

Kombucha

Kimchi

MisoDouchi & Soy sauce

Gundruk

Tempeh & Semayi

Fermented foods brewing up a storm on social media

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Global fermented beverges:

CAGR % (2018-2023) Is 9.92 %

Fermented foods: the new superfood and megatrend

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The term “fermented” grew 46% on U.S. restaurant menus in the last four years

+226%

Kombucha+201%

Kefir

+92%

Kimchi

+55%

Pickled veg

Fermentation merges two trends – “natural”

and “health benefits”

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Increase in

nutrient

density

Hydrolysis

of phenolic

compounds

Bioactive

peptides

Secondary

metabolites

SCFA and

vitamins

Synthesis of

EPS

Degradation of

anti nutritional

compounds

Bioavailability

of bioactivesPrebioticsProbiotics

Organoleptic

modification

Repurposing

agro waste

Differentiated Flavors Clean Label Natural Preservation Sustainability

The science behind the art of fermentation: chemistry or biology?

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Problem:

Batches of wine

were souring instead

of fermenting

Hypothesis

Microorganisms could

eat a compound and

spit out something else

- Louis Pasteur

Proof:

Yeast: YES

Strange rods: NO

Good

Proof:

Yeast: NO

Strange rods: YES

Bad

A B

Fermentation is broadly an interplay

of the following factors

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Microorganism

Substrate Environment

Fermentation of grapes

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Grape sugars

(glucose and fructose)

Non-volatile

grape-derived precursors

Malic acid

Ethanol and CO2

Secondary metabolites• Esters

• Acids

• Higher alcohols

Aromatic compounds• Terpenols

• Thiols

Secondary metabolites• Esters

• Diacetyl

Lactic acid

The microorganisms used or detected in the

fermentation process

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Bacteria

Yeasts and Bacteria

Fungi

Types of fermentation products

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GRAINS VEGGIES FRUITS

TEAMEATFISH

Beer, kvass, sake, sourdough,

wine, whisky, vodka, idli, kishk,

vinegar

Kimchi, pickle, sauerkraut,

Sambal tempo-jak,

Szechwan cabbage

Wine, cider, perry, brandy,

nata de coco, Nata de pina,

tepache

Bagoong, faseekh, fish sauce,

Garum, Hákarl, jeotgal, rakfisk,

shrimp paste, surströmming,

shidal, soy sauce, shiokara,

Chin som mok, sausages, salami,

Spanish salchichon and chorizo

blood sausage), beef sticks,

pepperoni, Bosnian sudžuk,

Pu-erh tea, Kombucha,

Bai-ming, Leppet-so,

Miang

What happens during fermentation? Example: cheese

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L. casei group

101-2 cfu/mlAROMA TEXTURE

ketones alcohols hydrocarbons acetic acid propionic acid

L. casei group

NON-VIABLEVIABLE LYSED

104-7 cells/g

CURDCOOKING

pH SALT AWRIPENING

TIME

PROTEOLYSIS

CITRATEMETABOLISM LIPOLYSIS

What happens during fermentation? Example: bread

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yeast + flour + sugar + H2O = dough

sugaryeast

tºCO2

dough

rises

Using yeast in baking

What happens during fermentation? Example: kombucha

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Fermented flavors

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Characteristic flavor Key flavor compounds Source

Fishy and sweaty notes 2-Ethylpyridine and dimethyl

trisulfide

Fish sauce

Ethereal, fresh, green, pungent Acetaldehyde yoghurt

Varnish-like, sweet, fruity 2-Butanone yoghurt

Mushroom-like Buttery, creamy, vanilla 1-Octan-3-one

Diacetyl

cheese

Deep fat fried 2,4-Nonadienal bread

Intense, lactone-like, sulfurous, cabbage Dimethyl sulfide cheese

sweet fruity floral honey fig rose nutty hexyl acetate Fermented drinks

sweet acorn nut skin maple caramel

brothy

2,3 hexanedione Fermented drinks

Fermentation and

health benefits

The views expressed are those of the presenter and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of PepsiCo, Inc.

Research on health benefits of fermentation is relatively

new

21 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ Search “fermentation and health”

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Most research

has been

conducted in

the last 5-10

years

What health benefits are associated with fermentation?

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Lowers blood pressure Anti-atherosclerotic Anti-allergenic

Anti-carcinogenic Anti-diabetic Anti-microbial

Anti-inflammatoryTreatment for Inflammatory

Bowel Disease

Promotes healthy

microbiome

Where do these messages come from?

• Some messages on health benefits were taken from epidemiological study results

– Yogurt-rich diets associated with reduced Metabolic Syndrome1

– Fermented food associated with reduced atopic dermatitis2

• Epi studies show correlation not causation, so clinical trials are still needed!

– Clinical trials are generally focused on one food or probiotic strain; little research has been done on fermented foods as a whole

231Babio N et al. 2015 Consumption of Yogurt, Low-Fat Milk, and Other Low-Fat Dairy Products Is Associated with Lower Risk of Metabolic Syndrome Incidence in an Elderly Mediterranean Population. J Nur 145(10):2308-16.2Park S and Bae JH. 2016. Fermented food intake is associated with a reduced likelihood of atopic dermatitis in an adult population (Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). Nutr Res 36(2):125-33.

What determines the byproducts of fermentation?

What is produced depends on:

Jayabalan, et. al. A Review on Kombucha Tea- Microbiology, Composition, Beneficial Effects, Toxicity and Tea Fungus. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 2014: 13, 538-550.24

The substrate components,

including the microorganisms

The time The temperature of the

fermentation process

When we talk about health benefits of

fermentation we’re talking about health

benefits of the byproducts

How does fermentation change different foods?

Sourdough Bread

• Decreases glycemic index

• Reduces phytate by half

• Increases bioavailability of minerals,

free amino acids and protein

• Breaks down gluten (Celiac)

• No live cultures

25Gobbetti, et. Al. Novel insights on the functional/nutritional features of the sourdough fermentation. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 2019: 302, 103-113.

Farag MA et al. 2020. The many faces of kefir fermented dairy products: quality characteristics, flavor chemistry, nutritional value, health benefits and safety. Nutrients. 12(2):346.

Kefir

• Contains live cultures/probiotics

• Increases B vitamins, (B1, B2, B5,

B6, B12)

– Vitamin content depends on the

microorganisms/milk source

• Increased protein digestibility

Metabolites of fermentation and their benefits

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Bioactive peptides

anti-oxidant, anti-hypertensive,

anti-microbial,

immunomodulatory and

mineral-binding effects

Amino acids and Enzymes:

GABA (a major inhibitory

neurotransmitter) is abundant

in fermented foods like kimchi,

cheese and fermented seafood

products

Lipids:

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty

acids, such as

eicosapentaenoic acid

(EPA)and docosahexaenoic

acid (DHA),can be produced

through fermentation

Polysaccharides:

The EPSs exhibit prebiotic effects,

enhancement of immune response.

Mono and trisaccharides exhibit high

colonic fermentability

Polyphenols:

Phenolic acids more complex phenolics

(e.g. flavonoids, including monomeric

(catechins) and oligomeric lignans and

ellagitannins

Organic acids

Organic acids can preserve foods through

penetrating the cell walls and disrupting

normal physiology of pH-sensitive pathogenic

strains

Minerals and Vitamins

Fermented dairy products are rich in

highly bioavailable minerals especially

calcium, potassium and zinc.

Kefir is rich in vitamin B12 while yogurt

has high concentrations of vitamins A, B

and D.

Health benefits of fermented food

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Most benefits are associated with probiotics/live cultures

Dimidi E et al. 2019. Fermented foods: definitions and characteristics, impact on the gut microbiota and effects on gastrointestinal health and disease

There are many health benefits

associated with byproducts of

fermentation BUT

Summary of definitions

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ProbioticLive cultures found in food

that provide benefits

Gut MicrobiomeThe bacteria that reside in

your intestinal tract

PrebioticFood for good bacteria in

microbiome, usually fiber

Probiotics have many actions in the body and research is

emerging on the health benefits in healthy consumers

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More science needed for claimsStrong science supporting

Interact

with

microbiome

Produce

beneficial

substances

Interact

with

intestinal

cells

Compete

with ‘bad’

bacteria

Probiotic

actions in

the body

Digestive

Health

Immune

Health

Metabolic

Health

Probiotic

health

benefits

Health benefit claims

require additional

research and

alignment with

regulatory and legal

Probiotics in fermented foods and effects on

digestive health

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Normalization of intestinal microbial communities

Inactivation of carcinogens

Cell adhesion and mucin production

Modulation of enzyme activities association with metabolization of biliary salts

Production of short-chain and branched-chain fatty acids

Modulation of the immune system

Probiotics affect development of microbiota to help maintain balance between

pathogens and bacterial essential for normal bodily function

Plaza-Diaz J et al. 2019. Mechanisms of action of probiotics. Adv Nutr. 10(Suppl 1):S49-S66.

Markowiak P and Slizewska K. 2017 Effects of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics on human health. Nutrients. 9,1021

Which fermented foods usually contain

probiotics/active cultures?

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Contains active cultures

KimchiPickles

Not all commercially made fermented products will contain active cultures:

look for “naturally fermented” on the label

Rezac, Shannon et al. 2018 Fermented foods as a dietary source of live organisms Front Microbiol 9:1785

Does not contain active cultures

Beer Wine

Bread Cheese

Yogurt Sauerkraut

What is fermentation again?

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The enzymatic conversion of organic compounds,

especially carbohydrates, to simpler compounds,

especially to lactic acid or ethyl alcohol, producing energy