Process for the continuous production of citric acid by fermentation

摘要

A process for producing citric acid/citrate for use in producing citric acid, comprising the steps of continuously feeding to a fermenter containing a yeast capable of transforming glucose to citric acid by fermentation, in the presence of a nutrient medium and oxygen, sugar, especially glucose as a C source and at least one ammoniun compound as an N source fermenting the sugar to citric acid in said fermenter at a temperature, a pH and with a residence time sufficient to transform at least a major part of the sugar continuously fed to said fermenter to citric acid continuously withdrawing fermentation product from said fermenter recovering citric acid/citrate from said fermentation product controlling a C/N ratio fed to said fermenter to correspond to a molar ratio of glucose to ammonium compounds of 12 to 22 during fermentation of the glucose to citrate.