Isolation and identification of yeast strains for beverage production: Methods, challenges, and industrial applications

The isolation and identification of yeast strains remain central to the development of diverse and high-quality beverages, ranging from beer and wine to emerging functional drinks. Accurate identification is vital not only for functional characterization but also for quality assurance, spoilage prevention, and strain traceability in commercial applications. Yeasts can be isolated by classical and modern methods from a wide range of natural and industrial environments, including fruits, tree bark, brewery waste, and spontaneous fermentations. Yeast identification through classical microbiological methods, though foundational, is limited in capturing the full diversity of yeasts. Modern molecular and proteomic tools—including ITS and D1/D2 rDNA sequencing, PCR-based genotyping, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and next-generation sequencing—have significantly improved taxonomic resolution, strain discrimination, and community profiling. The review addresses industrial and regulatory considerations, highlighting safety, scalability, and consumer acceptance as critical factors.