High-yield production of single-cell protein from starch processing wastewater using co-cultivation of yeasts

•A co-cultivation of yeasts is proposed for efficient single-cell protein production.•C. utilis, G. candidum and C. tropicalis (9:5:1) is the optimal yeast combination.•The optimal conditions are 12 % inoculation (v/v), 24℃, 200 rpm and natural pH.•The single-cell protein yield and COD removal are 3.06 g/L and 56.9 %, respectively.•A resource-recycling process of starch wastewater is proposed.