Fermentation in food processing

Lore & Background

Natural fermentation predates human history, likely discovered unintentionally when stored foods were forgotten and yeast or bacteria began to grow. Evidence of fermented alcoholic drinks exists from Babylon (ca. He concluded that fermentation was catalyzed by a vital force called 'ferments' within living yeast cells.

Reader's Guide

Fermentation in food processing is significant for its role in producing alcoholic beverages, leavened bread, and preserved foods such as sauerkraut, yogurt, cheese, vinegar, and olives. The byproducts—alcohol, organic acids, and carbon dioxide—have diverse human uses: alcohol yields wine, beer, and spirits; carbon dioxide leavens bread; organic acids preserve and flavor vegetables and dairy. Fermentation serves five main purposes: enriching diet with flavors and textures; preserving food; enriching substrates with protein, amino acids, and vitamins; eliminating antinutrients; and reducing cooking time. Beverages produced through fermentation have been universally associated with ceremonies and festivals. Risks include potential botulism from improper sterilization, especially in traditional Alaska Native practices using plastic containers, and a carcinogenic by-product, ethyl carbamate. Research across Asia suggests regularly eating pickled vegetables roughly doubles the risk for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Did You Know?

• Alaska has more cases of botulism than any other U.S. state, linked to traditional fermentation of animal products in plastic containers.