Microbial vitamins in the production of food ingredients and functional foods

Vitamins are organic complexes that are necessary to maintain normal growth, metabolic activities, and optimal health; however, these organic compounds are not synthesized by the higher organisms and are thus supplemented through diet. Traditionally, there are many chemical synthesis methods being used for the production of vitamins that could yield highly hazardous waste and pollution. Over the years, the production of vitamins through microorganisms has emerged as an organic, green, and sustainable source from both environmental and economic standpoints. Moreover, the recent shift in food preferences towards the use of all-natural ingredients in food production motivated the food processing industries to use an efficient vitamin bio-production system. Vitamin and vitamin-like components are synthesized by microbial fermentation using different microorganisms, which could allow for the manufacturing of food constituents and functional foods with higher levels of vitamin bioavailability. Modified microbial vitamins can also have wider applications in food processing industries. This chapter, therefore, intended to provide a comprehensive overview of microbial vitamins market applications, cost-effective production strategies, and their food applications, particularly, in the production of functional food ingredients and functional foods. This up-to-date information contributes to existing knowledge of microbial vitamins and their applications in the development of all-natural, better-for-me, sustainable food products.