Methods for Obtaining and Using Succinic Acid in the Food Industry: A Scoping Review

Introduction: Succinic acid is the final metabolite of many microorganisms. It has antioxidant, tonic properties, and also takes part in the metabolic processes of a living organism. Its use in food formulations will help expand the range of functional food products aimed at improving metabolism.

Purpose: description of methods for obtaining and features of the use of succinic acid in the food industry for the production of functional foods and biologically active food additives.

Materials and Methods: Information search was carried out in the databases Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, RISC for the period from 01/01/1994 to 03/01/2024. Marketing research reports on the use of succinic acid in the food industry for the period 2016-2023 were also analyzed. The review included review and empirical articles that met the selection criteria in English and Russian. This review of the subject field is based on the PRISMA-ScR protocol.

Results: Currently, succinic acid is produced by chemical or biotechnological methods. The most common method is the chemical method (paraffin oxidation, catalytic hydrogenation, maleic acid or maleic anhydride). There is also a biotechnological method based on the cultivation of microorganisms that produce succinic acid. Various organic substrates, including food industry waste, can be used to cultivate microorganisms. It has been shown that succinic acid is included in the list of safe food additives and is used in food production as an acidity regulator. However, due to the fact that it has proven biological effectiveness, succinic acid can be included in the formulations of various food products, thereby providing them with additional functional properties.

Conclusion: To introduce the biotechnological method into the real sector of the economy, it is necessary to solve a number of limiting factors. It has been established that succinic acid can be used not only as a traditional food additive (acidity regulator), but also as a dietary supplement. The volumes of production and demand for succinic acid are slowly but increasing, which indicates the need to introduce new technologies for the production of succinic acid in order to meet the demand for this product.

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