Electrifying food fermentations to promote sustainability

The important food microorganism Lactococcus lactis is limited by its fermentative metabolism and low energy yield. This limitation can be partially overcome by activating aerobic respiration which, in a food context, can be difficult to achieve as heme and oxygen must be supplied. Supplying oxygen is particularly challenging due to oxygen mass transfer limitations in food matrices. To address these challenges, we propose to use electro-fermentation to grow L. lactis anaerobically. We propose a technical concept that could potentially increase the biomass productivity by >60% and decrease cooling cost by >90%, and we discuss how this new approach can reshape and enhance the sustainability of the food industry.