Dr Agata Sommer from the chemistry department of the Gdansk University of Technology is working on solutions to use bacterial cellulose as the main ingredient in vegan cold meat. The first stage of the research was to evaluate the composition and nutritional values of a group of products classified as vegan cold cuts and sausages commonly available to consumers.
Bacterial cellulose is known and used in the food industry. It is an edible product that has no taste and no calories, but, like fibre, causes a rapid feeling of satiety. It can be produced on an industrial scale, but also for domestic use.
Thanks to its properties, bacterial cellulose is a very good base for the production of various products. It is already used as an additive in desserts. As it is odourless and tasteless, it can be given any desired taste, smell and nutritional value. It can be found, for example, in the form of a tea fungus in the increasingly popular health-promoting drink in Poland, kombucha.
