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Over 5000 fermented foods are available worldwide. The characteristic flavour, taste, appearance and texture (solid, paste-like or liquid) of these foods vary depending on the raw materials used, environmental conditions during fermentation, storage conditions and the nature of the fermentation process.
Fermentation is one of the oldest food processing technologies and can be defined as the conversion of complex organic substances into simple compounds either through the action of enzymes or by microorganism. Although traditional fermentations are spontaneous or dependent on inoculum from a previous batch, many commercial fermentation processes use starter cultures.
Starter culture development and optimisation is highly desirable because consistency in product quality and retention of unique products characteristics depends on the ability to control the specific microorganisms used or the succession of microorganisms that dominate the microflora of foods. During fermentation, microorganisms use biochemical functions to decompose or synthesize organic acids, vitamins, fatty acids and fragrances.
The writer, a PhD candidate at Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands, is working as Associate Professor, Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Patuakhali Science and Technology University.
She can be reached at: [email protected]
Read More from her:
Role of fermentation in food preservation
Types of traditional fermented fish products
Traditional fermentation reduces loss of harvested small fish
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