PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING PROPIONATE PRODUCTS

A process for manufacturing propionate products through fermentation, including the steps of fermenting a carbon source selected from sugars and lactate in a fermentation medium by means of a propionic acid producing microorganism to provide a first fermentation broth comprising a propionate salt, recovering propionic acid producing microorganism from the first fermentation broth, subjecting the first fermentation broth from which propionic acid producing microorganism have been recovered to a water removal step to form a first propionate salt product, fermenting a carbon source comprising glycerol with the propionic acid producing microorganism recovered from the first fermentation broth in the presence of an inorganic alkaline salt to provide a second fermentation broth comprising a propionate salt, subjecting the second fermentation broth to a purification step comprising at least one precipitation step, to form a second propionate salt product. The process allows efficient manufacture of propionate salts products.