Tran Thi Tham Ha (M.Sc)
Division of Post-havest Studies
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a species of yeast that is commonly used in food industry such as winemaking, baking and brewing. The yeast is able to secrete pectinlyase and polygalacturonase enzymes, which help the degradation of coffee mucilage and pulp. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is essential for coffee fermentation as it can contribute to accelerating the rate of fermentation, preventing oxigenic filamentous fungi growth and limiting the formation of some undesirable compounds. In addition, the production of organic acids and volatile compounds by those yeasts might improve the coffee final quality. Therefore, Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a great potential to improve the quality of coffee beans through coffee fermentation process.