Amino Acids
FERMOPURE® – plant-based L-cystine and L-cysteine
Traditionally, the amino acid L-cysteine and its dimer L-cystine have been obtained from animal-based starting materials, such as hair or feathers. WACKER is the first company in the world to produce plant-based L-cystine in a sustainable fermentation process. This patented technique was awarded an environmental prize in 2008, because it uses 96% less hydrochloric acid than is required for the typical chemical extraction from hair and feathers. WACKER’s natural L-cystine and vegan L-cysteine are manufactured with state-of-the-art equipment, resulting in the highest quality. Since 2019 the products are marketed under the trade name FERMOPURE®.
In 2018, production was transferred to the Spanish site Leòn. Here WACKER produces L-cystine in compliance with ISO 9001:2015 and the outstanding quality demands of FSSC 22000, a GFSI-recognized (Global Food Safety Initiative) standard for food safety management systems. WACKER’s fermentation site in León has certificates for both standards to guarantee a superior safety level for our products.
Product Highlights:
WACKER’s patented biotechnology process does not use any animal materials and greatly reduces the use of hydrochloric acid in comparison to alternative chemical extraction methods.
Plant-Based, Sustainable Raw Materials
As a substrate for our fermentation process we use glucose that is purely derived from plant starch.
Microorganisms
We use a well-characterized safety strain to produce our FERMOPURE® products.
Fermentation
In the fermentation tank, the microorganisms produce L-cysteine from glucose and inorganic trace elements in a continuous stream. The product is released into the broth and directly forms the dimer L-cystine.
Purification
The fermentation broth is purified to yield natural L-cystine.
L-Cystine
L-Cystine is a dimer consisting of two oxidized L-cysteine molecules.
Electrolysis
One more step is required to produce L-cysteine. The dimer L-cystine is reduced by electrolysis into the monomeric L-cysteine.
L-Cysteine
L-Cysteine is one of the 20 natural amino acids that are the building blocks of proteins. Because of its sulfhydryl side chain (- SH), which is unique among the other amino acids, it is highly reactive and forms stable disulfide bridges.
