ABSTRACT
A yeast-based process using deproteinized whey as the growth medium was developed with the objective of producing a less expensive, more reliable cocoa butter equivalent (CBE). Yeasts from diverse environments were screened for rapid lactose utilization, high lipid yield and high symmetrical triacylglycerol content. Microbial lipid fractions showed similar solid fat contents and symmetrical triacylglycerol profiles to cocoa butter and commercially available CBEs with the added advantage of increased formation of the desirable stable crystal forms. Using an economic model, it was clear that the microbial lipid would have to be salable as a CBE without fractionation. Tb increase the saturation level of the triacylglyercol, mutant and hybrid strains deficient in their desaturase activity were developed and evaluated. However, cultivation conditions were identified as the major factor influencing the economics of the process.
