1 This is module 8 covering some of the basics of non-dairy fermented foods and microbiology. There is strong evidence that people were fermenting beverages in Babylon circa 5000 BC, ancient Egypt circa 3150 BC, pre-Hispanic Mexico circa 2000 BC, and Sudan area in Africa circa 1500 BC. There is also evidence of leavened bread in ancient Egypt circa 1500 BC. The importance of fermentation was the preservation of food and the reduction in likely foodborne illness. For example the wealthy in populated areas of Europe during middle ages never drank the water, they only drank beer and wine. 2 3 Similar to fermented milks discussed in the last module, lactic acid bacteria are used to ferment the small levels of carbohydrates in meats to produce lactic acid. Naturally present Micrococcus can work, but more often a Pediococcus culture is added. In some cases glucose is added to the meat to enhance the fermentation. Here is a typical flow chart for a salami type dried, fermented sausage. Ground meats are mixed with spices, curing salts, and salt. Then starter cultures are added. Since fermentation is carried out at ambient temperatures, the goal is to rapidly acidify the meat to prevent pathogen growth. Once enough acid is produced, the sausage may be smoked for flavor and then dried to a low moisture content. The dried the sausage is packaged, warehoused and then finally shipped. 4 The sausage biota is the same as the meat source. The microorganisms listed are for beef biota. Since most sausage is ground, the biota is fully distributed. Pediococcus has been added to the list since it will be added as a starter culture. Salt in the spice mix will inhibit some of the non-lactic acid bacteria biota from growing. During fermentation the haloteolerant Micrococcus and Pediococcus rapidly ferment sugars into lactic acid. 5 Sausage pathogens are also the same as the meat source. For example, the number one hazard in beef sausage is E. coli O157:H7. During fermentation the pH of the meat drops, but not to a level to inhibit E. coli. Starter culture competitive inhibition will make it harder for E. coli growth, but not eliminate it. If the sausage is smoked, then heat may contribute to the destruction of E. coli, but only a full cooking lethality will eliminate it. Finally, drying can also minimize E. coli, but it is known that E. coli can survive drying for periods of time. Since it is not clear that destruction of E. coli will occur, the USDA mandates manufacturers to demonstrate that their specific process results in a 5 log kill of E. coli O157:H7. 6 7 There are literally thousands of fermented foods known to man. A summary can be found in the WIKI encyclopedia at the link shown. We’ll take a look at just a few different fermented foods in the next few slides. Fermented fish sauces are an Asian staple. Salt is added to uneviscerated fish at approximately 30-35%. The tr.

1. 1
This is module 8 covering some of the basics of non-dairy
fermented foods and
microbiology.
There is strong evidence that people were fermenting beverages
in Babylon circa
5000 BC, ancient Egypt circa 3150 BC, pre-Hispanic Mexico
circa 2000 BC, and
Sudan area in Africa circa 1500 BC. There is also evidence of
leavened bread in
ancient Egypt circa 1500 BC. The importance of fermentation
was the preservation
of food and the reduction in likely foodborne illness. For
example the wealthy in
populated areas of Europe during middle ages never drank the
water, they only
drank beer and wine.
2
3
Similar to fermented milks discussed in the last module, lactic
acid bacteria are
used to ferment the small levels of carbohydrates in meats to
produce lactic acid.

2. Naturally present Micrococcus can work, but more often a
Pediococcus culture is
added. In some cases glucose is added to the meat to enhance
the fermentation.
Here is a typical flow chart for a salami type dried, fermented
sausage. Ground
meats are mixed with spices, curing salts, and salt. Then starter
cultures are
added. Since fermentation is carried out at ambient
temperatures, the goal is to
rapidly acidify the meat to prevent pathogen growth. Once
enough acid is
produced, the sausage may be smoked for flavor and then dried
to a low moisture
content. The dried the sausage is packaged, warehoused and
then finally shipped.
4
The sausage biota is the same as the meat source. The
microorganisms listed are
for beef biota. Since most sausage is ground, the biota is fully
distributed.
Pediococcus has been added to the list since it will be added as
a starter culture.
Salt in the spice mix will inhibit some of the non-lactic acid
bacteria biota from
growing. During fermentation the haloteolerant Micrococcus
and Pediococcus
rapidly ferment sugars into lactic acid.

3. 5
Sausage pathogens are also the same as the meat source. For
example, the
number one hazard in beef sausage is E. coli O157:H7. During
fermentation the pH
of the meat drops, but not to a level to inhibit E. coli. Starter
culture competitive
inhibition will make it harder for E. coli growth, but not
eliminate it. If the sausage is
smoked, then heat may contribute to the destruction of E. coli,
but only a full
cooking lethality will eliminate it. Finally, drying can also
minimize E. coli, but it is
known that E. coli can survive drying for periods of time. Since
it is not clear that
destruction of E. coli will occur, the USDA mandates
manufacturers to demonstrate
that their specific process results in a 5 log kill of E. coli
O157:H7.
6
7
There are literally thousands of fermented foods known to man.
A summary can be
found in the WIKI encyclopedia at the link shown. We’ll take a
look at just a few
different fermented foods in the next few slides.

4. Fermented fish sauces are an Asian staple. Salt is added to
uneviscerated fish at
approximately 30-35%. The traditional method placed the
salted fish in a sealed pot
buried in the ground for 6 months. During this time the
halophilic fish biota primarily
streptococci, micrococci, and staphylococci liquefy the fish
(bones and all) with the
help from proteases from Bacillus. The main reason that few
pathogens survive is
30-35% salt.
8
Most breads are made using standard bread yeast,
Saccharomyces cerevisiae,
seen here colored in light blue. However, there are many
traditional breads that
either use wild yeast or use a mother culture that has been
perpetuated for decades
to centuries.
9
San Francisco sourdough bread is one example of a historic
fermented bread. The
culture has been perpetuated for hundreds of years. It has been
extensively
studied. The culture is commensal. A yeast Saccharomyces
exigus and bacteria
Lactobacillus sanfrancisco both work together to make the

5. characteristic sourdough
bread. The Saccharomyces breaks down flour (starch) into
maltose while the
Lactobacillus can only use maltose to ferment into lactic acid.
The result is a sour
dough with an excess of maltose. During baking the maltose
contributes to a very
crisp crust.
10
Two common fermented vegetables are cabbage and cucumbers.
Cabbage
ferments into sauerkraut and cucumbers into pickles. This
fermentation is
traditionally performed by the resident lactic acid bacteria that
are present on the
normal biota of the cabbage or cucumbers. Similar to the
sausage fermentations,
salt is added to inhibit the remaining normal biota. Unlike
meats, water is added to
help form a brine. The lactic acid bacteria then ferment the
vegetable sugars into
lactic acid acidifying the brine. The acid adds flavor and
inhibits C. botulinum and a
few other pathogens. Commercially, sauerkraut or pickles are
jarred and
pasteurized to kill off vegetative pathogens and the
fermentation biota.
11

6. Soy sauce and miso have been a traditional Asian sauce since
the 1600’s.
Traditionally, soybeans were soaked, cooked, mashed and then
formed into balls.
The balls of starch were then allowed to be infected by molds
for some 30 days.
The mold infected balls were called Koji. The main mold was
Aspergillus oryzae. It
produces proteases, amylases, and lipases that hydrolyze their
respective
substrates into sugars. After 30 days the balls were crocked
with water and salt at
10% for up to a year. The starch brine is called moromi.
Fermentation is mostly due
to Pediococcus cerevisiae, Lactobacillus delbruekii, and salt-
tolerant
Saccharomyces rouxii. The end product is a paste called miso.
If miso is filtered,
the juice is soy sauce. Naturally, a commercial process is a
little cleaner. In
addition, many soy sauces now contain wheat in addition to
soybeans.
12
As mentioned earlier, there are thousands of fermented foods.
Some of the other
more popular food include Wine (fermented grapes and fruit
juices), Cider
(fermented apples and fruit juices), Whiskey (fermented then
distilled barley, wheat,
corn and rye), Arrack & Sake (fermented rice), Pulque and
Mezcal (fermented and
distilled agave), Vodka (fermented and distilled potatoes),

7. Vinegar (fermented rice,
wine or cider). Vinegar is an interesting fermentation. First a
yeast such as
Saccharomyces cerevisiae ferments sugars into ethanol, then
Acetobacter aceti
converts the alcohol to acetic acid.
13