Charles Denby, the co-founder and CEO of Berkeley Yeast, and his team are modifying yeast strains to “optimize” the taste of beer. Through genetic modification, Berkeley Yeast says it can enhance or diminish desirable and undesirable flavors as well as introduce new ones. One of its products, the Tropics yeast, has been engineered to provide the taste of passion fruit and guava.
The California-based firm also claims to be using gene-editing to eliminate unfavorable byproducts such as diacetyl, a substance that imparts a buttery taste to hoppy beers. The research has also enabled it to reduce the fermentation time required to create Belgian-style sour beer. The use of these GM yeast strains is becoming commonplace in the United States, where regulation of GM foods is relatively lenient.
Many consumers rightly remain wary of genetically modified ingredients. In countries where the acceptance of GM foods is lower, such as the UK, the beer must be labeled as containing GM ingredients, limiting marketability. Furthermore, some brewers prefer traditional methods of flavoring and view GM methods unfavorably. Despite this, the brewing industry is closely watching developments in genetic modification as the potential benefits of flavor consistency and reduced resource usage become more apparent.
