FERMENTED PLANT PRODUCTS

Sauerkraut and Kimchi

Refer to Fig. 9.9 A&M for production process

• Fermentation process: Sauekraut

➢Initial stage: L. mesenteroides (less salt and acid resistant) grow, decreasing pH and creating anaerobic
conditions in the product through liberation of CO2, preventing oxidation of vitamin C and loss of colour. It
also produces acetic(ethanoic acid) contributing to flavour.

➢pH continues to drop inhibiting L. mesenteroides.

➢It is then followed by heterofermentative lactobacilli and lastly by L. plantarum (most acid
and salt tolerant homofermenter) which decreases pH further till it stabilizes at 3.8 and
acidity of 1.7-2.3%.

➢Fermentation lasts for 4-8 weeks at 18oC.

• Kimchi
• Production same as sauerkraut except salt concentration is low (<3%) and L. mesenteroides
is the only fermentation organism

• Fermentation occurs at 20oC for 3 days

• Product has acidity of 0.6% and pH 4.2

 Sauerkraut/Kimchi
o Spoilage
o Sauerkraut defects caused by yeasts and moulds

o They produce off-odours, loss of acidity, a slimy, softened product or

pink discolouration (Rhodotorula).

o L. plantarum causes spoilage of kimchi by producing an excessively

sour product

Sauerkraut
 Olives
Green olives
• Unripe fruits treated for 10h with 1-2.6% NaOH which hydrolyse oleuropein
(bitter flavour and inhibition of LAB)

• Lye washed off with water and olives placed into a brine (5-6% salt)

• LAB (L. mesenteroides and L. plantarum) decrease pH, increase acidity (1%)

• Fermentation last several weeks ending with a product with pH 3.6-4.2.

Black olives
• Ripe fruits placed in 10% brine without oleuropein treatment

• Fermentation slow with microflora dominated by yeasts (Saccharomyces,

Hansenula, Candida, Torulopsis, debaryomyces, Pichia, Kluyveromyces and
Cryptococcus)

• Final product has acidity of 0.1%-0.6% and pH 4.5 -4.8

 Cucumbers
• Originally fermented by direct acidification followed by pasteurization

• Advantages of fermentation:
• Cucumbers have flavour and texture not possessed by other products.

• Bulk fermentation facilitates quick and easy processing.

• Products can be stored in bulk until processing,

• Fermentation more economical.

High salt or salt stock

• Fermented in 5-8% salt till all fermented sugars are converted to organic acids.

• Lb. brevis, Lb. plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus commonly isolated.

• Fermentation initial stage lasts for 2-3d.

Low salt (genuine dill pickles)

• Fermented in 3-5% salt in presence of dill and spices.

• Process resembles that of sauerkraut with regard to sequence of LAB.

• Fermentation lasts for 3-4 wks at 20-26oC though full curing requires 8 wks.
• Product has pH 3.2 – 3.6 and acidity 0f 0.7-1.2%.
 Fermented legumes
• Bacillus subtilis used to improve palatability of legumes

• Process does not improve shelf life of the products

• Examples of fermented legumes:

• Natto (Japanese)
• Cooked soyabeans fermented for a day

• During fermentation the bacteria metabolize and breakdown proteins and carbohydrates in beans. This
produces a mucilaginous strings of polyglutamic acid, used as a side dish

• Iru/dawadawa (African, mostly Nigerian)

• Fermented seeds of locust bean

• Fermentation increases digestibility of seeds and removes objectionable flavours usually associated with
the seeds
 Fermented meats
• Improves the keeping qualities of an otherwise highly perishable commodity.

• Combines lactic fermentation with salting and drying.

• Two categories of fermented sausages: dry, (moisture content of 35% or less), and semi-dry, (50%
moisture).

• Ingredients:
• Lean meat , 55-70% (pork, beef, mutton, turkey)

• Fat, 25-40%

• Curing salts, 3% (mixture of NaCl and sodium nitrate and/or nitrite): Contribute to the taste, colour, safety, stability
and texture of the product.

• Fermentable carbohydrate, 0.4-2.0% .

• Spices and flavouring, 0.5%: Added for flavour but also have a role in retarding spoilage and promoting lactic
fermentation. Stimulate the growth of LAB.

• Starter (LAB and nitrate reducing bacteria).

• Acidulant (glucono-δ-lactone):improves acidulation by slowly hydrolysing to produce gluconic acid.

• Ascorbic acid :improve colour production and stability.

• Glucose:supplement the available fermentable sugar in the starting mix.

Fermented meats
• Commercial starters:
• LAB (Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus acidilactici and Ped. pentosaceus) and nitrate reducing bacteria.

• Yeasts, e.g. Debaryomyces hansenii and Candida famata

• Moulds, usually, Penicillium spp. such as P. nalgionense are also included in some.

• Process: Ingredients mixed, packed into casings, incubated for 20-60h at temp. from 15oC up to in
excess of 40oC.

• Acid is produced and pH reduced to below 5.2 promoting coagulation of meat proteins, helping in
expulsion of moisture, and development of desired texture and flavour.

• Storage (drying) for 6 wks at 7-15oC, 65-85% RH.

• Spoilage: Antimicrobial hurdles or barriers produced during fermentation enough to ensure safety
of product. Also, only good quality raw materials are used.

Except: Outbreaks are associated with fermented sausage Nam, which is subjected to short
fermentation and is not dried, and is not chilled. Led to marketing of irradiated Nam in some areas of
Thailand.
Fermented meats

Fermented, dry sausages Sausages, semi-dry

Fermented, whole muscles

 Fermented fish Fish sauces and pastes

• Small fish packed into tanks or jars and salt is added in ratio 3:1 (fish: salt).

• Left for up to 18 months or more.

• Fish autolyse through action of enzymes in the gut and head of uneviscerated fish producing a brown, salty liquid rich in
amino acids, soluble peptides and nucleotides.

• Extensive autolysis, sauce, less extensive, pastes.

• Only anaerobic extreme halophiles such as Halobacterium salinarium survive under the conditions used.

Fish/salt/carbohydrates blends
• Cleaned fish is dry salted with 10% salt for a day.

• Flesh is then removed from existing brine and sundried to reduce moisture.

• Source of carbohydrates such as rice (or traditional saccharifying agents e.g koji, look-pang, ang-kak) added to start lactic
fermentation.

• Garlic often added for flavour.

• Microflora dominated by yeasts (107 cfu/g) and LAB (109 cfu/g).

• Products are cooked before consumption guaranteeing safety.

• Isushi implicated in outbreaks due to failure to obtain rapid fermentation and also due to the fact that it is consumed
without cooking.
 Fermented fish

Fish paste

sushi
 Beer
• Principal cereal used in production is barley.

• African traditional beers produced from local cereals such as sorghum and millet differ
from European style beers.

• First stage is conversion of starch to fermentable sugars in process called Malting.

• Process: grains are moistened (soaked) in H2O, and then spread on a floor and allowed
to germinate.

• Enzymes produced :
• Hydrolytic enzymes (proteases) attack the endosperm (break apart the protein holding
the starch granules) and mobilize the nutrient and energy reserves it contains for the
growing barley plant.

• Amylases convert starch to sugars.

• Malt is bought as a raw material and therefore commercial production starts with
mashing
 Beer production process
Mashing
• Conversion of malt into liquid medium (wort). Wort supports growth of
yeasts.

• Malt + hot H2O (60oC-650C) >>hydrates starch allowing amylase to convert it

to sugars.

• Several enzymes act during process:

• α-amylase: hydrolyses starch producing dextrins.
•
• β-amylase: attack dextrins, snipping off maltose units.

• Amyloglucosidase(non-malt): may be added to breakdown limit dextrins with α –1,6-linkages.

•
• Proteinases: solubilize malt proteins and supply yeast nutrients.

• Phosphatases: release inorganic phosphate vital for yeast nutrition and contributing to buffering
capacity of wort.
 Beer production process
Kettle boiling
• After mashing sweet wort is boiled before fermentation.

• Importance of boiling:
❖ Inactivates malt enzymes.
❖ Pasteurizes wort.
❖ Denature and precipitates unwanted proteins and tannins.
❖ Help dissolve any sugars added as adjuncts at this stage.

• Hops are added to make wort bitter.

Fermentation
• Wort is cooled, spent hops and precipitated proteins are strained out.

• Piching (addition of desired yeasts)

• Lager: Saccharomyces pastorianus (S. cerevisiae var. carlsbergensis (Bottom fermenter), 8-12oC.
• Ales: S. cerevisiae var. cerevisiae (Top fermenter), 12-18oC.

• Yeast convert sugar to ethanol: In initial phase there is active yeast growth, ethanol production and a drop in
pH. In secondary phase there is slower ethanol production with no yeast growth.

• Population increases six-fold. It can be recycled or used in animal feed and man. of yeast extract when its
viability and performance drops.
 Beer production process
• Matured at cool temperature to improve yeast settling, clarification and CO2 dissolution (ale, 6-8d;
lager, 14-21d).

Downstream processing
• Some beers are run into casks, and priming sugars added stimulating 2o fermentation

• Keg beer is filtered prior to pasteurization (kill yeasts) and kegging.

• Bottled and canned beers are filtered and centrifuged before packaging and pasteurization.

• Some beers are carbonated to improve their sparkle.

keg
Barley
 Beer SPOILAGE
• Range of microorganisms that could cause problems limited by low pH, low
nutrient status and ethanol content. But a few listed below can still cause spoilage:

• Enterobacteriaceae: Obesumbacterium proteus, Klebsiella and Enterobacter spp:

produce off-odours in wort that can persist to final product.

• Acetobacter and Gluconobacter: cause turbidity, ropiness and ethanoic acid

production in cask-conditioned beers.

• Zymomonas mobilis produce turbidity and off-flavours in ales.

• LAB (Lactobacillus and Pediococcus): produce acid, diacetyl which gives beer a
sweet butterscotch flavour, and polymeric material known as rope.

• Wild yeast cause hazes and off-odours.