Fermentation is the process of converting carbohydrates into alcohol or organic acids using microorganisms under anaerobic conditions, with significant applications in food processing such as producing alcohol and preserving foods. Different types of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and yeasts, influence the flavor, texture, and health benefits of fermented foods, with specific bacteria like lactic acid bacteria and various yeasts playing key roles. The human gut microbiome also consists of diverse microorganisms that begin colonizing before birth and are crucial for digestion and health.

1. Presented by
Swati suman
A35204418013

2. What is fermentation?
• Fermentation in food processing is the process of
converting carbohydrates to alcohol or organic acids
using microorganisms—yeasts or bacteria
under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation usually implies
that the action of microorganisms is desired. The science of
fermentation is known as zymology or zymurgy.
• The term fermentation sometimes refers specifically to the
chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol, producing
alcoholic drinks such as wine, beer, and cider. However,
similar processes take place in the leavening of bread , and
in the preservation of sour foods with the production
of lactic acid, such as in sauerkraut and yogurt.

3. Microbes in fermentation
• Microorganisms determine the characteristics
of fermented food, for example, acidity,
flavour and texture, as well as the health
benefits that go beyond simple nutrition.
• Microorganisms may be present as the
indigenous micro-biota of the food or as a
result of the intentional addition of
microorganisms as starter cultures in
industrial food fermentation process.

4. • Also, microbial cultures can be used to
produce several compounds either specifically
for application as food additives or in situ as a
part of food fermentation .
• With an estimated 5000 varieties of
fermented foods and beverages, worldwide,
only a small fraction of these artisanal
products have been subjected to scientific
studies so far.

5. Types of microbes
• Main types of microorganisms associated with
global fermented foods and beverages are
grouped as follows;-
a) Bacteria
b) Fungi
c) yeast

6. Bacteria
• Bacteria are the most dominant microorganisms
in both naturally fermented foods and foods
fermented by the use of starter cultures. Among
the bacteria, lactic acid bacteria are commonly
associated with acidic fermented foods, while
non-LAB bacteria are also involved in food
fermentation, frequently as minor or secondary
groups.

7. • Types of bacteria in fermentation technology:-
• (a) lactic acid bacteria
• (b) non lactic acid bacteria
• Lactic Acid bacteria :- Lactic acid bacteria are
Gram-positive, catalase-negative bacteria that
produce large amounts of lactic acid. The
bacterial groups that make up the LAB are among
the most familiar to humans, because of their
association with the human environment, and
with a wide range of naturally fermented dairy
products, grain crops, vegetables, and so on.

8. • Non lactic acid bacteria - Bacillus is reported from the
alkaline-fermented foods of Asia and Africa. Species of
Bacillus present in fermented foods mostly soybean-
based foods are B. amyloliquefaciens, B. circulans, B.
coagulans, etc , while strains of B. cereus have been
isolated from the fermentation of Prosopis africana
seeds for the production of okpehe in Nigeria.
• Some strains of B. subtilis produce λ-polyglutamic acid
(PGA) which is an amino acid polymer commonly
present in Asian fermented soybean foods giving the
characteristic sticky texture to the product .

9. YEAST
• The role of yeasts in food fermentation is to
ferment sugar, produce secondary
metabolites, inhibit growth of mycotoxin-
producing molds and display several
enzymatic activities such as lipolytic,
proteolytic, pectinolytic, glycosidasic and
urease activities .Genera of yeasts reported
from fermented foods, alcoholic beverages
and nonfood mixed amylolytic starters are
Candida, Cryptococcus etc.

10. Fungi
• The major roles of fungi, mostly filamentous molds, in
fermented foods and alcoholic beverages are the
production of intra- and extracellular proteolytic and
lipolytic enzymes that highly influence the flavor and
texture of the product, and also the degradation of
antinutritive factors improving bioavailability of minerals.
• Species of Actinomucor, Amylomyces, Aspergillus,
Monascus, Mucor, Neurospora, Penicillium, Rhizopus, and
Ustilago are reported from many fermented foods, Asian
nonfood amylolytic starters and alcoholic beverages

11. Pathogenic Contaminants
• About 80% of fermented foods are produced
by natural fermentation and may contain
functional, nonfunctional, and pathogenic
microorganisms during initial fermentation.
Pathogenic bacteria commonly reported for
fermented foods are Escherichia coli, Listeria
monocytogenes, and so on

12. Gut Micro flora
• The human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) houses over
1014 microbial cells with over 1000 diverse bacterial
types, mostly in the colon. Colonization of the gut is
initiated before birth following ingestion of microbe-
containing amniotic fluid by the fetus. The majority of
bacteria in the adult gut are nonsporing anaerobes, the
most numerically predominant of which include
species of Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium,
Clostridium, Lactobacillus, Fusobacterium, and various
Gram-positive cocci and bacteria that are present in
lower numbers include Enterococcus.