Yeast extracts consist of the cell contents ofyeast without thecell walls;[3] they are used asfood additives orflavorings, or as nutrients forbacterial culturemedia. They are often used to create savoury flavors andumami taste sensations[4] and can be found in a large variety of packaged foods[5] including frozen meals, crackers, snack foods, gravy, stock and more. They are rich inB vitamins (but notB12). Yeast extracts andfermented foods containglutamic acid (free glutamates), an amino acid which adds an umami flavor. Glutamic acid is found in meat, cheese, fungi (mushrooms and yeast) and vegetables—such as broccoli and tomatoes.[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 theautolysate type was invented in the 19th century byJustus von Liebig.[9] Yeast cells are heated until they rupture, then the cells' own digestiveenzymes break theirproteins down into simpler compounds (amino acids andpeptides), a process calledautolysis.[10] The insoluble cell walls are then separated bycentrifuge,filtered, and usuallyspray-dried.[11] This is the process used for spreads such asVegemite andMarmite.[12]
Yeast extracts in liquid form can be dried to a light paste or a dry powder. This is not the same asnutritional yeast, which are made from intact cells not directly hydrolyzed and consequently have a lighter flavor.[12]
Yeast extracts in general are produced in three steps: fermentation (growing the yeast), disruption (breaking of the cells), and separation (to keep the soluble part). Although the vast majority of yeast extract spreads are made using von Liebig's traditional approach of heat-autolysis usingsurplus yeast from beer brewing, other methods do exist for producing specialized types.[13]
In terms of fermentation, spent beer yeast is commonly contaminated with the bitter compounds fromhops, requiring a "debittering" step to wash out most of this undesired flavor. Yeast from other sources are not affected by this issue.[14] Spent brewer's yeast is also quitebiodiverse, containing yeasts other than traditionalSaccharomyces cerevisiae and sometimes beer spoilage-causinglactic acid bacteria too.[15]
For disruption of the cell, some physical and chemical methods may be used in place of the heat-autolysis process. Doing so may allow specific compounds to be extracted or to produce an extract without the hydrolysis of cell contents (as in autolysis) happening.[13] Autolysis can be assisted with added enzymes; for example, additionalnuclease would enhance the release of nucleosides from RNA.[16]
Separation removes insoluble parts, mainly the yeast's cell wall, from the extract. Cell wall is usually sold in two parts: the glucans as "yeastβ-glucan" and the mannans further processed intomannan-oligosaccharide (MOS).[17] The product is finally concentrated by drying, into a thick paste or a dry powder.[16]
Depending on the source, yeast extract may containgluten. Brewer's yeast are especially likely to contain the protein due to contact with the grains used in brewing. In the case of yeast autolysate however, the yeastproteases are able to degrade most of the gluten. For example,Marmite contains around 30part per million gluten according to third-party testing, meeting the EU "very low gluten" limit but not the "gluten free" definition. Unilever reports that no cases of gluten-related reactions have been reported for Marmite.[18]
Yeast extract products derived from plant feedstock are by definitionvegan andkosher–pareve, although some consumers prefer extra certification.[19] They are also generally consideredhalal,[20] despite the concern that the yeast has come into contact with alcohol.
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Yeast autolysates are the main ingredient inAussieMite,Mightymite,Vegemite,Marmite,New Zealand Marmite,Promite,Cenovis,Vitam-R, Brazilian Cenovit andMaggi seasoning.[21][22][23]Bovril (Ireland and theUnited Kingdom) switched from beef extract to yeast extract for 2005 and most of 2006, but later switched back.[24]
Yeast extract is used as a flavoring in foods. It is a common ingredient in American barbecue-flavoredpotato chips such asLay's.[25] It is also widely used insoup bases.
Marmite (/ˈmɑːrmaɪt/MAR-myte) is a Britishfood spread produced byUnilever. Marmite has been produced since 1902. It is a sticky, dark brownfood paste with a distinctive, powerful flavour, which is extremely salty. This distinctive taste is represented in the marketing slogan: "Love it or hate it." Such is its prominence inBritish popular culture that the product's name is often used as a metaphor for something that is anacquired taste or tends to polarise opinions.[26][27]
InAustralasia and the Pacific, British Marmite is sold as "Our Mate", due to the presence of a licensed Marmite produced in New Zealand.
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Vegemite (/ˈvɛdʒɪmaɪt/VEJ-i-myte)[28][29] is a thick, dark brown Australian food spread made from leftoverbrewers' yeast extract with various vegetable and spiceadditives. It was developed byCyril Percy Callister inMelbourne, Victoria, in 1922. The Vegemite brand was owned byMondelez International (formerlyKraft Foods Inc.)[30] until January 2017, when it was acquired by the AustralianBega Cheese group in aUS$460,000,000 (equivalent to about $590,000,000 in 2024) agreement for full Australian ownership after Bega would buy most of Mondelez International's Australia and New Zealand grocery and cheese business.[31]
Aspread for sandwiches, toast,crumpets andcracker biscuits as well as a filling for pastries, Vegemite is similar toBritish Marmite,New Zealand Marmite, AustralianPromite,MightyMite,AussieMite, OzEmite, Brazilian Cenovit, GermanVitam-R and SwissCenovis.
Vegemite is salty, slightly bitter,malty, and rich inglutamates giving it anumami flavour similar tobeef bouillon. It isvegan,kosher andhalal.[32]
Marmite (/ˈmɑːrmaɪt/MAR-myte) is afood spread produced in New Zealand bySanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company and distributed in Australia and the Pacific. It is similar to the BritishMarmite, but the two products are made by different companies. This is the only product sold as Marmite inAustralasia and the Pacific, whereas elsewhere in the world the British version predominates. In the rest of the world it is sold as "NZ-Mite".
Marmite has been manufactured in New Zealand since 1919. The product's popularity in England prompted the Sanitarium Health Food Company to obtain sole rights to distribute the product in New Zealand and Australia in 1908. They later began manufacturing Marmite under licence inChristchurch, albeit using a modified version of the original recipe, most notable for its inclusion of sugar and caramel. Common ingredients are also slightly different quantities from the British version; the New Zealand version has high levels ofpotassium, for example. New Zealand Marmite is described as having a "weaker" or "less tangy" flavour than the British version.
 | |||||||
| Type | Yeast spread | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of origin | Germany | ||||||
| Invented | 1925 | ||||||
| Main ingredients | Yeast extract | ||||||
| Variations | Kräuter (Herbs) | ||||||
| 223 kcal (930 kJ) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Similar dishes | Marmite,Vegemite | ||||||
Vitam-R is asavory yeast extract spread made inHameln, Germany, by the company Vitam Hefe-Produkt GmbH. It was first developed by Rückforth AG inStettin (today'sSzczecin, Poland) in 1925,[33][34] following the discovery byJustus von Liebig that yeast could be concentrated.[35] It is sometimes described as having a smoother flavour than similar products such asMarmite,[36]Vegemite, orCenovis. Unlike those brands, Vitam-R is not an iconic part of its home country'scuisine, but it, too, is described as having a love-it-or-hate-it flavour.[37] It is bothvegan and by extension,vegetarian, and is sold primarily inReformhaus health-food stores.[33]
Cenovis is a product based on yeast extract that is similar to Marmite and Vegemite, rich invitamin B1. In the form of a dark brown food paste, it is used to flavour soups, sausages and salads. The most popular way to consume Cenovis, however, is to spread it on a slice of buttered bread, as stated on the product's packaging (it can also be blended directly into butter, and then spread on bread, or used as a filling in croissants and buns).
Cenovis is popular inSwitzerland (particularlyRomandie). It was developed inRheinfelden in 1931, on the initiative of a master brewer named Alex Villinger,[38] and was subsequently produced by the company Cenovis SA.
The nutrition-rich nature of yeast extract lends it to a variety of uses. It was historically popular as a vitamin supplement for humans.[39] Rich in proteins and nucleotides, it currently finds use in animal feed[40] and microbiology (seeyeast extract agar) as nutritional supplements.[41] It also finds use incosmetics and skincare products due to its moisturizing and alleged antioxidant properties.[42]
Beispielhaft für den wissensbezogenen Wandel der Vermarktung steht Vitam-R, ein Hefeextrakt, der Ende der 1920er Jahre als »Fleischextrakt des Vegetariers«39 vermarktet wurde. Das Präparat wurde 1925 von der Stettiner Rückforth AG...
But if Marmite stays off the shelves, Germany could have an answer. A company in Hameln has been making Vitam-R yeast spread since the 1920s. It may not have the same cachet as Marmite, but its smoother taste has a cult following among health food aficionados. But it, too, has become more expensive to import to Britain - even if, after Brexit, it will by default become the leading brand in the EU.
