Starchy biomasses are used in the manufacture of plastic materials, surfactants and chemicals for pharmaceutical compounds. These biodegradable polymer materials are used in many fields for the production of bottles, film, shopping bags etc. Most commercial microbial production is based on sugar beet and cane molasses, although they contain many impurities requiring specific treatments either before, or after, the fermentation processes. Itaconic acid (IA) is produced by fermentation from a fungus, Aspergillus terreus.
IA-based monomers and polymers are used to produce bio-based adhesives, inks and paints to ensure that packaging made from polylactic acid (PLA) maintains the biodegradable and compostable properties required required by the EU standard EN 13432.