Author: Amanda Golebiewski
This is the second article of the two-part series about fermentation. Although fermented foods have been discussed in my Probiotics article, this one will focus more on the fermentation process and fermented products’ role in the food industry. Since the discovery of fermentation, its popularity has had its ups and downs. When it, salting, and drying were the only methods of shelf-life extension, it was commonly used. Throughout the years and most especially after the Industrial Revolution, fermentation was edged out by freezing, refrigeration, and canning. Within the past ten years or so, fermented foods are making a comeback as functional foods are trending. According to a tech-based restaurant management platform called, Upserve, fermented food consumption increased by 149% in 2018!
History
Fermentation has been around since the beginning of agriculture, farming, and trading. Preservation methods like fermentation was very important in the early days of trading; it allowed different cultures to share ingredients and develop all new cuisines. Our ancestors quickly learned that fermentation processes helped lengthen the shelf life of highly perishable foods they were eating: produce, meat, and dairy. Since then, fermentation has been part of the backbone of the food industry due to human innovation. Every culture has some sort of fermented food product: yogurt from Greece/Turkey, cortido from El Salvador, and miso from Japan just to name a few!
Role in the Food Industry
As consumers are focusing more on functional or “super” foods, people are becoming more exploratory. They want more bang for their buck; as stated in my Probiotics article, fermented foods are a good source of B-vitamins, minerals, and strengthen your immune system. Fusion cuisines are all the rage. Most recently, I’ve seen a food truck that specialized in Chinese/Mexican hybrids! It doesn’t seem to be slowing down either. According to an article by Yahoo Finance, the global fermented food and ingredients market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 4.26% from 2019-2027! You can notice this trend whenever you go get food. My local grocery stores are now carrying tempeh in the produce section. American restaurant menus almost always have some sort of aged cheese, pickled vegetable, or sourdough bread.
How it Works/Types
Fermentation is a natural process that traditionally involves microorganisms such as bacteria and yeasts breaking down the food product. They’re able to convert the di/polysaccharides like starches and sugars into alcohols and organic acids. These alcohols and acids make the environment too harsh for most pathogenic and spoilage organisms to grow. They also can enhance the flavor of the product as well as become a source of prebiotics, B-vitamins, and some essential minerals. Fermentation can even help reduce the amount of potentially harmful components in food. According to Chen et al., 2013;Soni and Dey, 2014, fermenting soybeans can reduce phytic acid and trypsin which are antinutritionals as well as make the proteins more bioavailable.
The most common type of fermentation is using lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Lacto-fermentation involves breaking down carbohydrates in the food into some metabolites: lactic acid, acetic acid, carbon dioxide, ethanol, and antimicrobials such as bacteriocins and certain peptides. Some examples of lacto-fermented foods are sauerkraut, yogurt, and various cheeses. The fermentation metabolites give the food more flavor as well as an acidic taste of varying degrees. Another type of fermentation is fungal; it is very common in Asia. Tempeh is a fungal fermented soybean cake that has a bitter, nutty taste and meat-like texture and chew. It’s made by cooking dehulled soybeans and inoculating them with the fungus, Rhizopus oligosporus. The fungus helps fuse together the soybeans and it is able to be molded into a thin, rectangular cake. Chefs and food scientists have become very creative when it comes to tempeh. I’ve seen it used as a bacon substitute; I’ve even made delicious vegetarian meatballs with it! Another very common fungal-fermented food product is soy sauce. Soy sauce is made by mixing soybeans, wheat, and salt with the mold, Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus soyae. Using the traditional method, soy sauce can be very labor intensive but its process has been refined over the past 2,500 years of consumption. The last fermentation type is alkaline. Alkaline fermentation is when the microbes break down the bonds within the proteins in the food into their separate amino acids and peptides. One byproduct is ammonia which increases the pH – this is the exact opposite of lacto-fermentation in that respect. It gives the product a certain strong odor but is very popular in some countries. In Japan, natto is regularly made using alkaline fermentation. Cooked soybeans are inoculated with the microbe, Bacillus subtilis. Since soybeans have such a high-protein content, it makes it a perfect canvas for this process. Natto is an acquired taste because of its slimy, stringy texture and ammoniacal smell, but it can be delicious served over rice to some!
Final Thoughts
Fermentation has helped shape the food industry into what it is today. What once was old news is being reborn. With the increased demand of natural preservation, functional foods, and more exciting flavors and textures, fermentation can provide just that. Fermented food products develop unmatched mouthfeels and flavor components. They are easier on the digestive system along with strengthening it. They can help feed the beneficial bacteria in the GI tract. They help vegans and vegetarians reach their recommended daily intake of B-vitamins too. Fermented foods may not look the same in every country but its mark runs deep into human history. What I discussed in this and the previous article is only the tip of the iceberg. If you take baby steps into the fermented food world, I’m sure it won’t let you down. You may be one step closer to finding your next favorite food or condiment!
Sources
- https://myfoodjobrocks.com/category/disruptive-ingredients/
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizzysaxe/2019/02/06/fermented-foods-are-up-149-percent-as-long-as-theyre-unfamiliar/#15dd151d673f
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4303846/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/worldwide-fermented-food-ingredients-industry-105353408.html
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fermentation#what-it-is
- https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/B978008100596503420X?token=1C7C4446AA91747198179AA937A374763392B066DA2906DC0037C792B46CB859D382D008BF486D1AB6EF7FB754984913
- http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Soy-Sauce.html
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8817079/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/natto#section2
