Microorganisms in Fermented Food: Selection, Evaluation and Application

Dear Colleagues,

The moment our ancestors unlocked the body’s ability to consume fermented foods, people found ways to transform raw materials into a variety of products with unique sensory characteristics and improved shelf life. Today, we can call several of those fermented foods, traditional. Fermentation is not just a way to preserve food; it is an integral part of our gastronomic identity. Migrations and settling in new regions contributed to the distribution of knowledge on the preparation of fermented foods. Consequently, fusions, traditions and innovations resulted in today’s large variety of fermented food products. The evolution of these products has been dependent on the type of raw materials available, the microorganisms responsible for the fermentation and the preparation methods used. Originally, spontaneous, uncontrolled fermentations occurred, and later the process of back-slopping was introduced. Empirical knowledge of the processes was passed on from one generation to another without much documentation. Therefore, the resultant food products had variable characteristics including safety. With the advent of modern food microbiology, microorganisms have been isolated from numerous traditional fermentations, characterised and developed into starter cultures used worldwide to produce high- and consistent-quality products using controlled fermentations. For over a century, starter cultures have been the subject of intensive research aimed at developing improved cultures with more predictable performance. From a scientific point of view, fermented food products are organically linked to the biological role of different microorganisms. Moreover, their role is not simply transforming raw materials to nutritional and gastronomic products; they play essential roles in bio-preservation and even serve as probiotics when consumed. The complex beneficial roles of microbes involved in the preparation of fermented food products deserve research focus and can be an inspiration for the creation of products with beneficial properties. Therefore, the demand for novel microbial cultures with predicted fermentation characteristics is ever increasing due to the demand for fermented products and beverages worldwide.

This Special Issue calls for the dissemination of research on the isolation, selection, characterisation and application of microbial fermentation cultures from a range of fermented products and beverages.

Prof. Dr. Anthony N. Mutukumira
Guest Editor

Dr. Svetoslav Todorov
Co-Guest Editor

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• mesophilic cultures
• thermophilic cultures
• single cultures
• mixed cultures
• characterisation
• screening
• traditional fermentation
• indigenous fermentation
• fermentation technology
• precision fermentation
• spontaneous fermentation