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Chapter 15
Microbiology of Fermented
Food Production
introduction
At the dawn of civilization, humans recognized, probably by accident, that under certain circumstances, when raw foods from plant and animal sources were stored for future consumption, they could change to different but desirable products with longer storage stability. The
possibility of such an event occurring might have been after they learned to produce more foods
than they could consume immediately and thus needed storage. It was probably the period
during which they learned agriculture and animal husbandry as well as making baskets and
pottery to store the excess products. On this basis, one can assume that fermented food probably originated in approximately 7000 b.c.–8000 b.c. in the tropical areas of Mesopotamia
and the Indus Valley. Subsequently, other civilizations also produced fermented foods from
different raw materials, particularly to preserve those that were seasonal and thus available in
abundance only for a short harvesting period. Fermented milk products, alcoholic beverages
from fruits and cereal grains, and leavened breads became popular among the early civilizations in the Middle East and in the Indus Valley and later among the Egyptians, Greeks, and
Romans. 1
Currently, more than 3500 different fermented foods are consumed by humans worldwide;
many are ethnic and produced in small quantities to meet the needs of a group in a particular
region. Some are, at present, produced commercially, and only a few are produced by large commercial producers. Production by large producers is now on the rise.
At present, there is interest in the consumption of many types of fermented foods other
than cheese, bread, pickles, and alcoholic beverages. One reason for this increase is consumer
interest in natural and healthy foods, which fermented foods have been thought to satisfy. Even
countries in which many types of fermented foods have been consumed for a long time but
mostly produced in small volumes have started commercially producing some products in large
volumes. It is anticipated that, in the future, consumption of many fermented foods will increase
worldwide. 1
Chapter 15
Microbiology of Fermented
Food Production
introduction
At the dawn of civilization, humans recognized, probably by accident, that under certain circumstances, when raw foods from plant and animal sources were stored for future consumption, they could change to different but desirable products with longer storage stability. The
possibility of such an event occurring might have been after they learned to produce more foods
than they could consume immediately and thus needed storage. It was probably the period
during which they learned agriculture and animal husbandry as well as making baskets and
pottery to store the excess products. On this basis, one can assume that fermented food probably originated in approximately 7000 b.c.–8000 b.c. in the tropical areas of Mesopotamia
and the Indus Valley. Subsequently, other civilizations also produced fermented foods from
different raw materials, particularly to preserve those that were seasonal and thus available in
abundance only for a short harvesting period. Fermented milk products, alcoholic beverages
from fruits and cereal grains, and leavened breads became popular among the early civilizations in the Middle East and in the Indus Valley and later among the Egyptians, Greeks, and
Romans. 1
Currently, more than 3500 different fermented foods are consumed by humans worldwide;
many are ethnic and produced in small quantities to meet the needs of a group in a particular
region. Some are, at present, produced commercially, and only a few are produced by large commercial producers. Production by large producers is now on the rise.
At present, there is interest in the consumption of many types of fermented foods other
than cheese, bread, pickles, and alcoholic beverages. One reason for this increase is consumer
interest in natural and healthy foods, which fermented foods have been thought to satisfy. Even
countries in which many types of fermented foods have been consumed for a long time but
mostly produced in small volumes have started commercially producing some products in large
volumes. It is anticipated that, in the future, consumption of many fermented foods will increase
worldwide. 1