Torula
Cyberlindnera jadinii, commonly known as torula in the food industry, is a species of yeast. It is used as a savory, protein-rich food ingredient as well as a food bait for insects. It is also commonly known as the anamorphic name Candida utilis, which has been discarded under the "one fungus, one name" change.
Taxonomic history
Lindnera jadinii was split from Pichia in 2008 under a genetic study. Unfortunately the genus name Lindera was illegitimate, hence the change to Cyberlindnera jadinii in 2009. The species was originally isolated from cow absesses. Natural populations are mainly diploid.Torula utilis, renamed Candida utilis in 1952, was originally isolated in flowers. It is also found as a contaminant in industrial fermentations, and also from human and animal sources. It represents a triploid, asexual lineage of C. jadinii.
Use
Food flavoring
Torula, in its inactive form, is widely used as a flavoring in processed foods and pet foods. It is often grown on wood liquor, a byproduct of paper production, which is rich in wood sugars. It is pasteurized and spray-dried to produce a fine, light grayish-brown powder with a slightly yeasty odor and gentle, slightly meaty taste.Like the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate, torula is rich in glutamic acid. Therefore, it has become a popular replacement among manufacturers wishing to eliminate MSG or hide flavor enhancer usage in an ingredients list. It also enables the marketing of "all-natural" ingredients.
Cyberlindnera jadinii can be used, in a blend of various other yeasts, as secondary cheese starter culture "... to inoculate pasteurised milk, which mimic the natural yeast flora of raw milk and improve cheese flavour. Other functions of the added yeast organisms are the neutralisation of the curd and galactose consumption."