www.checkbiotech.org ; www.czu.cz ; www.raupp.info

The manufacturer of a genetically modified yeast variety that is designed to
reduce levels of the carcinogen ethyl carbamate in wine last week announced
that it has transformed six new yeast strains, December 2006 by Lorraine
Heller.

First Venture Technologies on Friday said the functional improvement of
these additional yeast strains to reduce the formation of ethyl carbamate
was performed under a two-year service agreement with The University of
British Columbia's (UBC) Wine Research Centre.

"We've improved the yeast transformation process over the last few years so
that we can now enhance the yeasts much more quickly," said Dr Hennie van
Vuuren, director of the UBC Wine Research Centre. "We have a total of
twenty-two transformants that we will screen and choose the most effective
of each strain to commercialize."

Also known as urethane, ethyl carbamate, is formed during fermentation,
distillation or storage, and can be present in widely consumed foods such as
wine, distilled spirits, bread, yogurt and soy products.

For example, in wine production, yeast is used in a fermentation process to
convert grape juice into wine, explained the company. Arginine, one of the
most abundance amino acids in grape juice, is taken up by yeast as a
nutrient and metabolized to produce urea. Urea then accumulates in the yeast
cell until it reaches a critical concentration, at which point it is
released into the wine. Urea spontaneously reacts with the alcohol in the
wine to form ethyl carbamate. The chemical reaction between urea and ethanol
is exponentially accelerated at elevated temperatures.

First Venture Technologies said its propriety yeast claims to be able to
reduce ethyl carbamate levels in red wine by up to 89 percent, and in bread
by up to 54 percent. The firm is currently commercializing its platform
yeast technology, which it has exclusively licensed from the UBC.

"We are continuing to evaluate the use of our yeasts in bread making -
preliminary lab trials having produced reductions of up to 54 percent in the
formation of ethyl carbamate in this widely consumed food item. As well, we
are investigating the use of our ethyl carbamate reducing yeasts in the
production of stone-fruit and grain-based spirits, where ethyl carbamate
formation is known to be high," said Dr van Vuuren.

Subject to lab-based efficacy analysis, the company plans to have a number
of its new yeast strains available for trial in the 2007 wine making season.

Wine making trials from the current 2006 fall harvest are already underway
with several commercial clients and academic partners, said First Venture
Technologies. The company expects these fermentation trials to complete
sometime in December 2006. Production and sample analysis are being
conducted during the trials, and full analysis is expected to be completed
by spring 2007.

"The primary focus of this analysis is the development of detailed
manufacturing protocols for winemakers," said Andrew Starr, director of
marketing and business development of First Venture Yeast Products.

"These protocols will allow winemakers to have detailed knowledge of how
variations in wine making practices and methodology, as well as fluctuations
in the grape harvest, affect the primary and enhanced functionality of First
Venture yeast in this varied environment. This understanding will enable
winemakers to make decisions on how to maximize the reduction of ethyl
carbamate in their wines, taking into consideration the variations of their
winemaking practices and the variations in seasonal grape harvest results."

In recent months, Environment Canada approved the import and manufacture of
the firm's genetically modified yeast variety. The nation's endorsement of
the environmental safety of the yeast follows the Generally Regarded As Safe
(GRAS) status received from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in
January 2006. The company said it hopes the new approval will greatly assist
its marketing efforts.

[www.foodnavigator-usa.com]

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