Microbial biocatalysis in the generation of flavor and fragrance chemicals.

Microbial biocatalysis is used in the commercial production of many flavor and fragrance chemicals. Bulk flavoring chemicals such as citric acid, high fructose corn syrup, and glutamic acid are produced in millions of pounds annually using microbial processes. In the past few years, biocatalysis has also begun to play an increasingly important role in the production of many flavor and fragrance aroma chemicals. Microbial processes have traditionally played an integral role in the development of complex mixtures of flavor and aroma chemicals since the discovery of beer, wine, cheese, and soy sauce thousands of years ago. Today, contemporary microbiological techniques are being increasingly applied to enhance the efficiency of many microbial biocatalysts for the production of specific flavor and fragrance chemicals. However, to ensure commercial implementation of these new microbial processes, much more needs to be learned about the basic biochemistry and genetics of these novel biocatalysts.