History and Background of Yeast in Iran
Bread yeast is one of the oldest ingredients utilized by humans since ancient times, its presence and significance often overlooked. Dating back 5,000 years, yeast has played a pivotal role in baking throughout history. Ancient civilizations, including the Egyptians, employed yeast for bread-making millennia ago.
From a historical standpoint, today’s yeast strains represent some of the oldest industrial microorganisms utilized since ancient times to initiate bread fermentation.
References to yeast can even be found in the Bible, indicating its ancient usage. Recent studies suggest that fermentation, involving various organisms, dates back to nearly one million years ago, where primitive humans likely utilized fruits for this purpose.
Early evidence of yeast utilization in traditional applications, such as bread baking, can be traced back to ancient Egypt (1300-1500 BC) and China (300-500 BC). However, researchers believe that yeast’s role in cereal fermentation and bread-related processes predates recorded history.
In essence, humanity’s relationship with yeast is among the oldest known associations. Throughout antiquity, yeast has been an integral part of human life.
Historians propose that knowledge of fermentation and baking methods spread from ancient civilizations like Egypt and Babylon to regions such as Greece and among Jewish communities. The emergence of professional bakers in Rome around 168 BC, following conflicts with King Perseus, coincided with the widespread use of yeast in culinary practices globally.
A Slice of History and Early Microscopic Evidence of Yeast
We owe the initial microscopic descriptions of the appearance of yeast to Anton van Leeuwenhoek in 1680. Along with yeast, he enabled the first-time visualization of bacteria and microorganisms.
The history of yeast was somewhat revolutionized in 1857 when Louis Pasteur understood the fermentation process. He soon realized that yeast was essential for forming the aroma and taste of bread and introduced it as the best way to leaven dough.
How and when did the first commercial production of yeast start?
Interestingly, after the discovery of this important ingredient in baking in previous years, the first experience with commercial production or cultivation of yeast dates back to the 1700s. Findings in documents from 1771 also emphasize producing yeast through simple drying methods, where yeast was dried and stored under sunlight.
Dried yeast was first commercially bought and sold in Vienna in 1822. The most important yeast storage methods include: bottling yeast, covering yeast with oil, or burying it a few feet underground.
Introducing the Yeast Industry in Iran
The entire globe is covered by 206 countries. Around 100 yeast factories operate in these countries, of which 8 major dry and instant yeast production factories are active in Iran.
The presence of the first factory in the country dates back to 1967 in Shahriar, Karaj. The rest of the factories also joined the country’s yeast producers in the early 1990s. In fact, Iran is a regional hub supplying yeast to neighboring countries, as they have realized the value of this highly useful material in various aspects of life more than Iran.
Of the 5 factories with a capacity of 35,000 tons in operation, and given the development plans, this capacity is predicted to exceed 50,000 tons in the coming years. The current factories operate at full capacity but unfortunately their valuable products are less appreciated in the domestic market, while foreign markets show more interest in this product.
In 2003, industry officials decided to establish a union to organize their activities, which led to the formation of the Yeast Manufacturers Syndicate.
Khuzestan Yeast Industry from the Beginning to Now | Yeast in Iran
Khuzestan Yeast Company was registered in 1991 under number 87,977 at the Companies and Industrial Property Registration Office in Tehran. One of this company’s honors was receiving official licenses in 1997 to establish a dry yeast production unit.
After going through a several-month trial production period, Khuzestan Yeast Factory was inaugurated by the Minister of Industry and Mines on February 5, 2002 and officially commenced its production.
The factory covers a land area of 65,000 square meters, grasping the pulse of domestic and foreign markets these days by utilizing the latest European and global technological methods, the most modern computer-controlled sensitive and precise machines and devices.
In 2012, after management changes, Khuzestan Yeast Company launched its first yeast production capacity expansion plan, followed by its third expansion plan in 2017, increasing its dry yeast production capacity.
Of course, in 2021, a second company named Bartar Yeast Company was established. The second factory (Bartar Yeast) entered the trial production circuit in November 2021. The company’s medium-term goal, through subsequent development plans, is to gain the capability to produce other types of biotechnology products in the country. Currently, the company’s website has launched two famous yeast brands, Dozmaye and Shetab, to the consumer market.
In conclusion, it should be said that the Iranian yeast industry has a lot to say, which if given proper importance, will soon gain an even better market share for itself.
