Food Processing and

Preservation (FPP)
Topic: Fermentation
By: Dr. Imran Khan
FST-5th semester
Contents

• Introduction
• Food additives
• Purpose of Applications in Foods
• Mode of actions
• Chemical preservatives
• Summary
Introduction

• A process in which chemical changes occur in an organic substrate through the

action of enzymes produced by microorganisms.
Introduction

• A metabolic process in which carbohydrates and related compounds are partially

oxidized with release of energy in the absence of any external electron acceptors.
• Final electron acceptors are organic compounds produced directly from the
breakdown of carbohydrates and only a small amount of energy is released.
• When growth environment contains free sugars, • yeasts produce alcohol, and •
lactic acid bacteria (LAB) produce organic acids.
Types of fermentation
Main end products of the various fermentation processes
Fermented foods as ancient tradition

• Fermentation is one of the oldest forms of food preservation technologies in the world.
• Indigenous fermented foods such as bread, cheese, yogurt, sausage, wine, and beer have
been prepared and consumed for thousands of years and are strongly linked to culture and
tradition, especially in rural households and village communities.
• The first fermented foods consumed probably were fermented fruits.
• Huntergatherers would have consumed fresh fruits but at times of scarcity would have eaten
rotten and fermented fruits.
• Repeated consumption would have led to the development of the taste for fermented fruits.
• Fermented drinks were being produced over 7000 years ago in Babylon (now Iraq), 5000
years ago in Egypt, 4000 years ago in Mexico, and 3500 years ago in Sudan.
• Bread making probably originated in Egypt over 3500 years ago
Factors Influencing Fermentation

• Temperature, pH, nature, and composition of the medium, dissolved oxygen,

dissolved carbon dioxide, operation system (such as batch, fed-batch, continuous),
feeding with precursors, and mixing and shear rates in the fermenter.
• These factors can affect the rate of fermentation, the product spectrum and yield, the
organoleptic properties of the product (such as appearance, taste, smell, and texture),
the generation of toxins, nutritional quality, and other physicochemical properties.
• The formulation of fermentation medium affects the yield, rate, and product profile.
• The medium must provide the necessary amounts of carbon, nitrogen, trace
elements, and micronutrients (such as vitamins) to microorganisms.
Biological Agents Responsible for Food Fermentation

• The most common groups of microorganisms involved in food fermentation are

bacteria, yeasts, and molds.
• Microbial enzymes also play an important role in food fermentation.
• Some fermentation may require only a single species of microorganism to effect the
desired chemical change.
• Most fermentation requires several microbial species, acting simultaneously and/or
sequentially, to give a product with the desired properties, appearance, aroma,
texture, and taste.
• Vinegar processing is a combined effort of yeast and acetic acid bacteria.
Bacteria

• Lactic Acid Bacteria

• LAB carry out their reactions in the conversion of carbohydrate to lactic acid,
carbon dioxide, and other organic acids without the need for oxygen.
• The principal genera of LAB are Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc,
Pediococcus, and Streptococcus.
• In addition to these five genera, some other bacteria can also be considered as LAB,
but they generally not fit the group:
• Aerococcus, Corynebacterium, Enterococcus, Erysipelothrix, Eubacterium,
Mycobacterium, Oenococcus, Peptostreptococcus, Propionibacterium,
Tetragenococcus, Vagococcus, and Weissella.
Acetic Acid Bacteria

• Acetobacter and Gluconobacter are two important genera producing acetic acid.
• They oxidize alcohol to acetic acid in the presence of excess oxygen.
• The cells are Gram-negative, occurring as single cells, pairs, or chains, motile or
nonmotile, and oxidize ethanol to acetic acid.
• Acetobacter, such as A. aceti, further oxidize acetic acid to CO2 and H2O.
• They grow well at 25–30 °C, and present naturally in fruits, sake, alcoholic beverages,
cane juice, and soil.
• Acetic acid bacteria are used in vinegar making due to production of acetic acid from
different compounds (such as alcohols and fruit juices).
• But formation of acetic acid in alcoholic beverages is undesirable and indicates spoilage.
• A. aceti is used for the production of acetic acid from alcohol.
Yeasts

• A small number of yeasts are able to grow anaerobically and utilize sugar to generate energy.
• The majority of these fermentative yeasts also grow aerobically.
• Yeasts are unicellular microorganisms that reproduce asexually by budding.
• Like bacteria and molds, yeasts can have beneficial and nonbeneficial effects on foods.
• Yeasts play an important role in the food industry as they produce enzymes, such as the
leavening of bread and the production of alcohol and invert sugar.
• A restricted number of yeasts are used in the fermentation.
• The most beneficial yeasts in terms of desirable food fermentation are from the
Saccharomyces genus, especially S. cerevisiae.
• Yeasts associate with fermentation of foods to produce alcohol, enzymes, single-cell
proteins, and additives.
Molds

• Molds are aerobic microorganisms and therefore they cannot carry out fermentation.
• They produce extracellular enzymes and enzymes hydrolyze large organic
compounds (such as polysaccharides, proteins, and fats) to smaller units (such as
glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids).
• Several species from genera Aspergillus and Penicillium, and a few from Rhizopus
and Mucor, are used for beneficial purposes in food industry.
• A. niger is used in the production of citric and gluconic acids, pectinase and amylase
enzymes from glucose, sucrose, and starch.
• Aspergillus oryzae is used in the fermentation of several foods such as sake, soy
sauce, and miso
Conclusion

• A metabolic process in which carbohydrates and related compounds are partially

oxidized with release of energy in the absence of any external electron acceptors.
• Fermentation has long history and can be trace back to ancient times
• Bacteria, yeast and mold are common microbes used for fermentation
Types of fermentation

• Three main types

• Alcohol fermentation
• Acetic acid fermentation
• Lactic acid fermentation
Alcohol fermentation

• Alcoholic fermentation, also referred to as, Ethanol fermentation, is a

biotechnological process accomplished by yeast, some kinds of bacteria, or a few
other microorganisms to convert sugars into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide..
• Because yeasts perform this conversion in the absence of oxygen ethanol
fermentation is classified as anaerobic.
Organisms used

• Bacteria:
• Zymomonas mobilis
• Closteridium acetobutylicum
• Klebsiella pneumoniae
• Yeast
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• Saccharomyces carlsbergenesiae
• Saccharomyces saki
• Saccharomyces oviformis
• Candida utilis
• Mucur sp.
Process

• Alcoholic fermentation is carried out by yeasts

and some other fungi and bacteria.
• The first step of the alcoholic fermentation
pathway involves pyruvate, which is formed by
yeast via the EMP pathway, while it is obtained
through the ED pathway in the case of
Zymomonas (bacteria).
• In the following step, the pyruvate is
decarboxylated to acetaldehyde in a reaction
that is catalyzed by the enzyme pyruvate
decarboxylase.
• The redox balance of alcoholic fermentation is achieved by the regeneration of
NAD+ during the reduction of acetaldehyde to ethanol, which is catalyzed by
alcohol deydrogenase.
• The ATP yield of alcoholic fermentation is 1 or 2 mol of ATP per mole of glucose
oxidized via the ED and EMP pathways, respectively.
• Zymomonas mobilis is the most important bacterial species that is able to perform
alcoholic fermentation.
• S. cerevisiae, the yeast that is used widely in several fermentation industries (wine,
beer, cider, and bread) as a microbial starter
Lactic Acid Fermentation

• Lactic acid fermentation can result in the production of:

• lactate (homolactic fermentation)
• lactate, ethanol/ acetate, and CO2 (heterolactic fermentation)
• Lactic acid fermentation is carried out by lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria, and also by
some species of Bacillus, some protozoa and water molds, and the cells of human skeletal
muscle when they are subjected to extreme work under oxygen deprivation.
• Both homolactic and heterolactic fermentation are involved in food and animal feed
transformation and preservation.
• In particular, lactic acid fermentation is mainly responsible for the souring of milk products
and is used in the production of yogurt and other fermented milk products (e.g., cheese,
buttermilk, and sour cream).
Homolactic fermentation

• Homolactic fermentation is carried out by bacteria

belonging to the genera Lactococcus,
Enterococcus, Streptococcus, and Pediococcus,
and by some species of the genus Lactobacillus.
• All of these bacteria can convert sugar to mainly
lactic acid, via glycolysis.
• The ATP yield of homolactic fermentation is 2 mol
per mole of glucose oxidized
Heterolactic Fermentation

• Heterolactic fermentation is carried out mainly

by bacteria of the genera Leuconostoc,
Oenococcus, and Weissella, and by
heterofermentative lactobacilli.
• The final products of this fermentation are
lactate, ethanol, and CO2 but acetate may also
be produced.
• The ATP yield is 1 mol per mole of glucose;
thus, heterolactic metabolism yields less energy
than homolactic fermentation.
Acetic acid fermentation

• Acetobacter and Gluconobacter are two important genera producing acetic acid.
• They are in the Pseudomonodaceae family.
• They oxidize alcohol to acetic acid in the presence of excess oxygen.
• Acetic acid bacteria are used in vinegar making due to production of acetic acid
from different compounds (such as alcohols and fruit juices).
• The oxidation of 1 mol of ethanol yields 1 mol each of acetic acid and water.
Conclusion

• We have discussed different types of fermentation

• Namely, alcohol fermentation
• Lactic acid fermentation
• Acetic acid fermentation
• A number of microbes are responsible for fermentations with specific culture
medium and pH and humidity etc.