Fermentation food conservation using

Fermentation can be defined as the alteration or production of products with the help of microorganisms. Fermentation has been used to conserve and alter food and feed since ancient times. Actually, it was the method of choice to convert fresh agricultural products into durable food items for many thousand years. In everyday life, we also know the reverse process, namely the uncontrolled decay of food or organic matter in general. Under controlled conditions fermentation is a useful process. Yogurt, salami, sauerkraut, soy sauce, vinegar, and kefir are just a few examples of fermented food products that we still know of today. 

As mentioned in the introduction, fermentation has been used since ancient times to conserve and alter food. Also today, it is still applied on a very large scale for this purpose. A few typical examples are described in this chapter. The principle is similar in most cases. Lactic acid produced by bacteria protects the food from deterioration by inhibiting the growth of mold and other microorganisms. Most vitamins and nutrients of the food are preserved during fermentation. Three examples are discussed in more detail below The production of sauerkraut, soy sauce, and milk products (Table 9.3). 

Use S. is the economically most important sugar compound and is produced in larger amounts for further use as an industrial feedstock, see also Lit. . Besides its main use in the food industry and for conservation purposes (jams, etc.), S. can also be used in plastics, varnishes, as fermentation additive for the production of proteins, amino acids, yeasts, enzymes, antibiotics, steroids, fats, ethanol, ethylene, glycerol, sorbitol, sugar acids, explosives, tartaric acid, softeners, saccharose esters for detergents, etc. S.-propylene oxide adducts are used in hard PUR expanded plastics. 

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