Some Contributions of the U. S. Department of Agriculture to the Fermentation Industry

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the contributions of Agriculture Department scientists between 1916 and 1945, and discusses the numerous additional contributions made during the past quarter century. During the first two decades of this century the fermentation industry was limited mainly to the production of yeast, alcoholic beverages, vinegar, industrial alcohol, lactic acid, and a few enzymes. The chapter explores that now the industry has a much wider scope, producing a variety of antibiotics, vitamins, organic acids, enzymes, sugars, sugar alcohols, polysaccharides, amino acids, microbial insecticides, sterols, and modified steroids. Research conducted by the staff of the United States Department of Agriculture has played an important role in the early development of the fermentation industry during the past half century.