Food science ZHAW researchers turn yellow peas into a source of B12
Using a new method, Zurich researchers can enrich yellow peas with vitamin B12. To do this, they used microorganisms that produce the vitamin directly in yellow pea flour, as announced by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) on Tuesday.
21.01.2025, 09:14
SDA
This is particularly important for people who follow a vegan diet. This is because vitamin B12 is almost exclusively found in foods of animal origin. According to the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO), it must be supplemented in a vegan diet, for example in the form of tablets.
In order to enrich yellow peas with B12, the researchers fermented them. Fermentation is an ancient method of preserving food. In this process, sugars contained in food are metabolized by microorganisms, i.e. bacteria, yeasts and fungi.
500 microorganisms studied
The ZHAW has a collection of over 14,000 strains of microorganisms. For the project with the yellow peas, the researchers tested around 500 strains for their ability to produce vitamins, according to the university.
They identified bacteria and yeasts that produce vitamin B12 and folic acid in sufficient quantities, as study leader Susanne Miescher Schwenninger told the Keystone-SDA news agency. According to the ZHAW, vitamins no longer need to be added artificially to the resulting product.
The product is not yet available, Miescher Schwenninger added. However, the first prototypes of foods, such as pasta or snacks, have been produced in-house from the yellow pea flour containing vitamin 12.
