EPA Cracks Down on Nutritional Yeast

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed several amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for the Manufacturing of Nutritional Yeast. The proposed regulations would set stricter emission standards and recordkeeping practices of producers of nutritional yeast, a group the EPA calls “volatile organic compounds” (VOC). Should the new regulations take effect, VOC producers will have to provide detailed accounts of the fermentation process of each batch of yeast, conduct annual performance tests, and submit electronic reports of their compliance to a continuous emissions monitoring system. The EPA is accepting public comments on the matter until February 13. Meanwhile, the animal agriculture industry continues to emit more greenhouse gases than all of transportation combined.