FOOD FERMENTATION

BY: RHONEL L. RECIO

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FERMENTATION:
is one of the oldest forms of food preservation technologies in the world. is the "slow decomposition process of organic substances induced by micro-organisms, or by complex nitrogenous substances (enzymes) of plant or animal origin" (Walker, 1988) described as a biochemical change, which is brought about by the anaerobic or partially anaerobic oxidation of carbohydrates by either micro-organisms or enzymes distinct from putrefaction, which is the degradation of protein materials

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THE BENEFITS OF FERMENTING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

1. Improving food security Food preservation Salvaging waste foods Removal of anti-nutritional factors 2. Increasing income and employment 3. Improving nutrition Increasing vitamin level

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is able to concentrate large quantities of thiamin, nicotinic acid and biotin and thus form enriched products.
Digestibility Micro-organisms contain certain enzymes, such as cellulases, which are incapable of being synthesized by humans. Microbial cellulases hydrolyze cellulose into sugars which are then readily digestible by humans

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1.4 Medicinal benefits The lowering of the pH inhibits the growth of food spoiling or poisoning bacteria and destroys certain pathogens Certain lactic acid bacteria (e.g. Lactobacillus acidophilus) and moulds have been found to produce antibiotics and bacteriocins Substances in fermented foods have been found to have a protective effect against the development of cancer 1.5 Improving cultural and social well being The strong flavours of fermented food products can enhance a dull diet. Fermented vegetables such as pickles, gundruk and sauerkraut are used as condiments to enhance the overall flavour of the meal. A small amount of pickle can make a bland starchy diet (like dahl and rice in Asia) much more appealing

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ORGANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR FOOD FERMENTATIONS

Bacteria The most important bacteria in desirable food fermentations are the lactobacillaceae which have the ability to produce lactic acid from carbohydrates. Other important bacteria, especially in the fermentation of fruits and vegetables, are the acetic acid producing acetobacter species Yeasts The most beneficial yeasts in terms of desirable food fermentation are from the Saccharomyces family, especially S. cerevisiae. Yeasts are unicellular organisms that reproduce asexually by budding. In general, yeasts are larger than most bacteria. Moulds Moulds are also important organisms in the food industry, both as spoilers and preservers of foods. Thet are from the genus Penicillium are associated with the ripening and flavour of cheeses. Moulds are aerobic and therefore require oxygen for growth.

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ENZYMES
Enzymes are complex proteins produced by living cells to carry out specific biochemical reactions. They are known as catalysts since their role is to initiate and control reactions, rather than being used in a reaction. The changes that occur during fermentation of foods are the result of enzymic activity

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MANIPULATION OF MICROBIAL GROWTH AND ACTIVITY

Moisture Water is essential for the growth and metabolism of all cells. If it is reduced or removed, cellular activity is decreased. There are two types of water free and bound. Bound water is present within the tissue and is vital to all the physiological processes within the cell. Free water exists in and around the tissues and can be removed from cells without seriously interfering with the vital processes. Free water is essential for the survival and activity of micro-organisms. Oxidation-Reduction potential Oxygen is essential to carry out metabolic activities that support all forms of life. Free atmospheric oxygen is utilized by some groups of microorganisms, while others are able to metabolize the oxygen which is bound to other compounds such as carbohydrates.

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Temperature At high temperatures, organisms are destroyed, while at low temperatures, their rate of activity is decreased or suspended.

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Nutritional requirements The majority of organisms are dependent on nutrients for both energy and growth. Organisms vary in their specificity towards different substrates and usually only colonize foods which contain the substrates they require. Hydrogen ion concentration (pH) The pH of a substrate is a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration. A food with a pH of 4.6 or less is termed a high acid or acid food and will not permit the growth of bacterial spores. Foods with a pH above 4.6 are termed low acid and will not inhibit the growth of bacterial spores. Inhibitors They are preventing metabolism, denaturation of the protein or by causing physical damage to the cell. The production of substrates as part of the metabolic reaction also acts to inhibit microbial action.

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DEFINITION OF FERMENTED FOOD

Campbell-Platt (1987) has defined fermented foods as those foods which have been subjected to the action of micro-organisms or enzymes so that desirable biochemical changes cause significant modification to the food. However, to the microbiologist, the term fermentation describes a form of energy-yielding microbial metabolism in which an organic substrate, usually a carbohydrate, is incompletely oxidized, and an organic carbohydrate acts as the electron acceptor (Adams, 1990).

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SOME PRODUCTS OF FOOD FERMENTATION

Yoghurt and other fermented dairy pdts Cheese Bread Preserved Meat/sausage Fermented Vegetable

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YOGURT PRODUCTION

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CHEESE PRODUCTION

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COWS MILK COMPOSITION:

WATER LACTOSE FAT CASEINS WHEY PROTEIN ASH

87.3 4.8 3.7 2.8 0.6 0.7

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IMPORTANT TERMS:
Caseins proteins precipitated from milk, as by rennet, and forming the basis of cheese Rennet a preparation or extract of the rennet membrane, used to curdle milk, as in making cheese

Whey a milk serum, separating as liquid from the curd after coagulation, as in cheese making.

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MATURATION OF CHEESE REACTION:

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Reaction involved in yogurt and cheese production:

The process of lactic acid fermentation using glucose is summarized below. In homolactic fermentation, one molecule of glucose is converted to two molecules of lactic acid: C6H12O6 2 CH3CHOHCOOH. or one molecule of lactose and one molecule of water make four molecules of lactate (as in some yogurts and cheeses): C12H22O11 + H2O 4 CH3CHOHCOOH. In heterolactic fermentation, the reaction proceeds as follows, with one molecule of glucose being converted to one molecule of lactic acid, one molecule of ethanol, and one molecule of carbon dioxide: C6H12O6 CH3CHOHCOOH + C2H5OH + CO2 Before lactic acid fermentation can occur, the molecule of glucose must be split into two molecules of pyruvate. This process is called glycolysis

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BREAD PRODUCTION

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THE SOURDOUGH PROCESS:

Sourdough is a dough containing a Lactobacillus culture, usually in symbiotic combination with yeasts. It is one of two principal means of biological leavening in bread baking, along with the use of cultivated forms of yeast .

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FERMENTATION IN BREAD:
The fermentation process serves three primary purposes: To produce carbon dioxide gas to create a light and airy texture in the bread To enhance the flavor of the bread To change the protein structure of the bread to prevent a chewy texture

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REACTIONS INVOLED:
The yeast requires fermentable sugars, which are produced during the dough phase. Starch is hydrolyzed to maltose by an enzyme known as diastase. Diastase is plant enzyme that accelerates the breakdown of starch to maltose. 2(C6H10O5) + nH2O
Starch

n(C12H22O11)

Maltose

Finally yeast is added to maltose. Yeast secrets two enzymes: 1. Maltase: converts maltose into glucose. 2. Zymase: converts glucose into ethanol. C12H22O11 +H2O C6H12O6 2C6H12O6

C2H5OH + 2CO2

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PRESERVED MEAT:
The curing of meat pre-dates the Romans as an exercise in enhancing meat quality and preserving it. It comprises lactic fermentation of mixtures of meat, fat, salt, curing agents (either nitrate or nitrite), reducing agents, spices and sugar. Frequently the meat is encased in a tubular form as sausage. Fermentation in meat occurs when sugar is added to counter the salt flavor. Sugar acts an energy source for microbes essential for fermentation.

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SAMPLE MATERIAL BALANCE:

Materials balance in cheese making A typical cheese plant using 1000kg raw cow milk has an overall operation time of 18 hrs a day in order to produce cheddar cheese. During pasteurization, 2% water is removed from the milk. The pasteurized milk then went through pre-curing until it reached 32 deg Celsius and before a definite amount of rennet and starter culture is added. For 75 minutes the pasteurized milk is allowed to coagulate. The process produced 88% whey which is removed. The curds left are cooked for 30 minutes under sustained 40 deg Celsius with 5% of water evaporated. Then thickened product is milled and salt is added. 15 kg of addl whey is removed from the fresh cheese when it is compressed under controlled pressure for 12 hours. Using the following ratios, 450kg pasteurized milk: 6kg rennet solution: 1kg starter: 1.45kg salt, how many boxes of cheddar cheese can the plant manufacture for 9 days provided 1 box contains 150 grams of cheddar cheese? (Another batch starts to be processed after 18 hours).

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