Handbook of Vanilla Science and Technology

In both private and academic laboratories, extensive research over the past two decades has accumulated a wealth of knowledge on the microbial formation of natural vanillin. Bottlenecks in metabolic pathways and process parameters have been identified in many cases. These results have generated not only a deep understanding of the basic metabolic pathways leading to vanillin, but also the necessary technical know-how for production scale up. These new and efficient microorganisms have led to improved yields that can be achieved without genetic manipulations of production strains. Further improvement of existing genetic traits through biotechnology can make the fermentation process even more economically profitable and competitive. Moreover, genetic manipulation can import vanillin pathways to micro-organisms, which normally do not contain them. For example, foods containing lactic acid bacteria or baker’s yeasts could benefit from such engineered pathways. Recent changes in US regulations allow vanillin produced by microbial bioconversion of ferulic acid to be considered a natural vanillin. This change has been an important step to unleash the accumulated know-how and transfer it into an attractive commercial product.

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