Sugar beet pulp is a residue after sugar extraction. In Poland, annually, about 11–12 109 kg of sugar beet is consumed for white sugar manufacturing (FAO, 2014), and approximately 5.5 108 kg
(as DM) of sugar beet bagasse (pulp) is obtained as a by-product of this technology. Currently, sugar beet pulp is used mainly for the production of animal feed. The dry matter of the pulp left after sucrose extraction is composed mostly of polysaccharides (about 75%), such as cellulose or hemicellulose, and various types of lignin and pectin, which makes it a very attractive carbon source for microbial biomass protein production. Thermochemical pre-treatment
(e.g. blanching or pressure cooking with acid addition) is necessary to remove most of the lignin and to ease cellulase action on cellulose and hemicellulose, so that the microorganisms can then use the cellulose and hemicellulose portions as a carbon source (Pessoa et al.,
1996, 1997; Zieminski et al., 2012).