Baking and brewing are among the oldest bioprocesses refined by human societies. Both fermentative processes have successfully used domesticated strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in their process as the biocatalyst throughout their evolution. However, the dominance of S. cerevisiae has limited the capability for diversification of many organoleptic properties of the final product, such as aroma and flavours. The use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts can be an enormous source of opportunities for innovation in both fermentative processes. Torulaspora delbrueckii is a ubiquitous yeast species, and numerous strains have been isolated from many different bioprocesses. The strains of T. delbrueckii, once considered microbial contamination, have recently shown several advantages over S. cerevisiae strains, including higher ethanol tolerance; better capabilities to consume wort sugars; higher resistance to hop/pH/osmotic stress; and freeze-thaw resistance, among others. This chapter aims to present a comprehensive review of frontier research on T. delbrueckii regarding its potential and prospects for the baking and brewing industries.
Part of the book: Frontiers and New Trends in the Science of Fermented Food and Beverages