Among the alternative and sustainable protein field,

there's a large talk about "single cell protein", or "SCP"

for short.

What does this term mean?

What are the different examples of SCP and how do they

compare to traditional protein sources?

As the human population increases, so does the demand

for food. In response to this, alternative sources of
protein have become a growing field of interest.
One alternative protein source is single cell protein (SCP),
which is a GENERIC TERM FOR CRUDE OR REFINED PROTEIN
ORIGINATING FROM MICROORGANISMS SUCH AS
BACTERIA, ALGAE AND FUNGI.

That an organism is single celled means that it consists of,

as the name suggests, one single cell.

Opposed to this we have multicellular organisms, like the

animals and plants we are used to, which are made up of
several different cells that interact with one another.
So what is the difference between making protein using
a single cell organism and an animal or a plant?

Eg. Soybeans vs Fungi Cell

To add to that comparison, we must also think that the

content of a steak is generally about 45%, while that of
milk is about 25% and of soybean about 35%.
Microorganisms used for single-cell protein production
can reach UP TO 75% PROTEIN CONTENT!
How is SCP more sustainable?

Single cell protein production can be a more sustainable

alternative to that of the traditional methods of
producing protein using animals or plants (soy is a very
commonly used source).
The reasons for this improvement are many:

1. Production of SCP requires less land. Fermenters are

large vertical tanks, so they require a lot less area
than cultivation fields.

2. It’s not season-dependent, affected by weather or

local conditions.

3. It can be continuously renewable and made using

different feedstocks from renewable sources.
To put in perspective, it has been stated that single-cell
fermenters covering about 8 square kilometres
could THEORETICALLY SUPPLY ALL THE PROTEIN
REQUIRED TO FEED THE WORLD’S POPULATION.

Another advantage for the SCP production is that

microorganisms can in most cases utilize WASTE
STREAMS AND INEXPENSIVE FEEDSTOCK to produce
biomass and protein.

How much protein can be produced will depend on the

feedstock used and type of microorganism used..
2. Substrates Used for SCP Production:

The most important substrates used for the industrial production of SCP are:

(i) Molasses from sugar manufacture or hydrolysis of starch.

(ii) Spent sulfite liquor, it is a waste product of the sulphite pulping process in paper
industry.

(iii) Acid hydrolysate from wood processing industries.

(iv) Agricultural waste- whey from dairy industry, fruit juice or citrus peel
hydrolysate, hydrolysed starchy foods, etc.

(v) Methane, methanol and ethanol.

(vi) Paraffin, gas oil and other alkanes.

 Examples of single cell protein
Bacteria Protein

Among the many different types of SCP, bacteria is

probably the most industrially explored alternative and is
currently being tested as a protein source in animal feed
by many main stream companies.

The main appeal of bacteria is its high protein content and

rapid growth rate.
Bacteria are usually grown in fermenters and, depending
on the species, can use different carbon sources as their
growth substrate, with METHANE BEING ONE OF THE
MOST COMMONLY USED in industries.
 A large disadvantage of using bacteria as a protein source
is that it has a high nucleic acid content, which adds to
the processing cost.

It can also be difficult to harvest, making the

downstream processing more technically and
economically challenging.

In the end, however, the biggest challenge of using

bacterial protein in foods might be to gain the public
acceptance of considering bacteria as a food source.
Algae Protein
Another key member in the SCP family, microalgae, has
been utilized by people for centuries due to its high
nutritional content of proteins and healthy fatty acids. For
example, Aztecs, the mesoamerican culture that flourished
in central Mexico, have collected the blue-green algae
Arthrospira platensis, more commonly known as
“Spirulina”, from Lake Texcoco in Mexico circa 1300 BC.
Similarly, the population of Chad has long been harvesting
Spirulina from Lake Kossorom. A few decades ago, the
interest in cultivating algae on an industrial scale arose and
since then, the interest and development of micro-algae
based technology has seen a significant increase and
subsequent implementation.