Industrial Biotechnologies: A Hub at the Crossroads of the Food Industry and Green Chemistry

From ancient Egyptian brewing techniques to second-generation biorefineries, centuries of history look down upon us. But most of all, it is about biotechnological processes that are applied on an industrial scale. This chapter looks specifically at the food industry and how biological tools are helping this sector to meet the climate change challenges facing our petro-carbon societies. To this end, the chapter reviews the definitions of biological tools, enzymes and the different types of enzymes used in the food industry. We also look at engineering approaches to optimise these enzymes for use in industrial processes or to exploit the natural biodiversity that has evolved over time. But beyond enzymes, we also highlight the fact that it is possible to use microorganisms or mixtures of microorganisms to produce molecules of interest. These molecules are then produced by fermentation processes, some of the unit operations of which are presented below. But beyond existing industrial processes and their products, it is important to search for other sources of raw materials. In this way, some of our waste can be valorised. But this is not enough. The contribution of synthetic biology and the use of microalgae offer enormous benefits that will allow us to reduce the environmental impact of our activities and consumption patterns in the near future.