Tuesday 12 June 2018

Food Fermentation

What Is Fermentation?
What is fermentation? It’s the process of using microorganisms, such as bacteria or yeast, to convert carbohydrates to alcohol or organic acids under anaerobic conditions.

There are two types of fermentation: alcoholic and lactic acid. Alcoholic fermentation, or ethanol fermentation, is where pyruvate (from glucose metabolism) is broken down into carbon dioxide and ethanol by bacteria and yeast. Alcohol fermentation has been used to produce beer, bread and wine.

Pyruvate molecules from glucose glycolysis may be further fermented into lactic acid. Lactic acid fermentation converts lactose into lactic acid.

There are several benefits to fermenting food. First, fermentation serves to enhance the digestion of food. Your body needs adequate digestive enzymes to properly absorb, digest, and utilize nutrients in food. When vegetables like cabbage and cucumbers are left to steep and sit until the sugars are broken down to promote the growth of bacteria, this is when the vegetables are fermented.

Fermented foods are also filled with beneficial bacteria that work as reinforcement for the good bacteria in the digestive system. Since 70 percent to 80 percent of the immune system lies in the gut, having proper balance of gut flora is important.

What else is fermentation good for? It preserves food. How? During fermentation, organisms produce acetic acid, alcohol and lactic acid, which are all “bio-preservatives” that retain nutrients and prevent spoilage. Lactic acid acts as a preservative by reducing pH, which inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria. It also influences physical properties of casein to induce a finer suspension, which appears to help promote digestibility.


What food products are made by fermentation?
Kefir. Kefir is a fermented milk product (cow, goat or sheep milk) that tastes like a drinkable yogurt.
Kombucha. ...
Sauerkraut. ...
Pickles. ...
Miso. ...
Tempeh. ...
Natto. ...
Kimchi.

What is produced during fermentation?

Fermentation is a metabolic process that consumes sugar in the absence of oxygen. The products are organic acids, gases, or alcohol. It occurs in yeast and bacteria, and also in oxygen-starved muscle cells, as in the case of lactic acid fermentation.


What are the steps of fermentation?

Diagram of lactic acid fermentation. Lactic acid fermentation has two steps:glycolysis and NADH regeneration. During glycolysis, one glucose molecule is converted to two pyruvate molecules, producing two net ATP and two NADH.


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