Download Fermentation

Fermentation
By: Jayda Cooke and Rachel Sapper
Keene State Dietetic Internship
Objectives
 Identify
different types of fermented foods
 Describe lactobacilli fermentation
 Discuss health benefits of fermented foods
 Explain the role of food safety in fermentation
Fact or Fiction?
Microbes were the first life form on Earth.
Fact!
Microorganisms were the first form of life on
Earth and have been in existence for about
3.5 billion years!
Fact or Fiction?
Half of the Earth’s biomass is made up of
microorganisms.
Fiction!
MORE than half of the Earth’s biomass is
microorganisms! (about 60%)
Fact or Fiction?
Your body is made up of more microbial
cells than human cells.
Fact!
There are 10 times more microbial cells in
and on your body than human cells!
Microorganisms are
actually a
BIG deal!
What Is Fermentation Anyway?
fer·men·ta·tion
/ˌfərmənˈtāSH(ə)n/
The chemical transformation of organic
substances into simple compounds by the
action of enzymes and catalysts, which are
produced by microorganisms such as molds,
yeasts, or bacteria.
The Neolithic Era
Image by Gallery Hip
Preservation Pre-Refrigeration

Fermentation originated as a means to safely
preserve food



Lactobacilli (used in the preservation of
vegetables in pickling) produces lactic acid as
a byproduct when it metabolizes
carbohydrates.
This creates an acidic environment that
prevents other species of microorganisms (the
kind that often make us sick) from growing
Thus, making fermented foods incredibly safe for
humankind, who had not yet invented
refrigeration or preservatives.
Hunter-Gatherer  Farmer
Fermentation in History
 Earliest
records of fermentation dates
back to 6,000 B.C.
 Earliest fermented foods were beer, wine
and cheese
 In the East: Koji
 In the West: Malt + Dairy
 Today: Modern advancements include
using mold and industrial fermentation to
produce B12 and antibiotics
Lactic Acid Fermentation –
The Pickle (As You Know It)
 850
BC: Aristotle praises the healing
effects of cured cucumbers
 900 BC: Dill is introduced to Western
Europe
 15th Century: Amerigo Vespucci travels to
the New World
 16th Century: Commercial pickling
production begins in Virginia and NYC
 2001: Pickle Day is celebrated in NYC
Culture
Culture describes both the arts and other
manifestations of human intellectual
achievement as well as the cultivation of
bacteria in an artificial medium containing
nutrients
Fermented Foods Across Cultures
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
West Africa: garri, fermented cassava
Tanzania: togwa, fermented gruel
Japan: natto, fermented soybeans
Vietnam: mam, fermented seafood
Korea: Kimchi, fermented cabbage
Germany: Sauerkraut, fermented cabbage
Europe + USA: Sourdough, yeast + bacteria
Middle East: Labneh, cultured milk (yogurt)
France: Crème fraîche; cultured cream
Health Benefits
 The
following health benefits are specific
for vegetable preservation via lacto
fermentation.
 Fermentation of other kinds may have
their own unique health benefits.
Probiotic
 Lactobacilli
lives in your intestines.
 By consuming lacto-fermented pickles,
this species is replenished in your gut.
 Healthy gut flora is essential for digestive
and immune health.
Vitamin C
 Lacto-fermentation
preserves the vitamin
C found in many vegetables for a longer
period of time.
Pre-digested Nutrients
 Lactobacilli
break down organic
molecules into their elemental
components, making minerals more
bioavailable and making hard-to-digest
compounds (such as tough fibers)easier
on our digestive system.
B Vitamins
 The
lactobacilli synthesize the B vitamins
thiamin, riboflavin, niacin as metabolic
byproducts, thus creating a more
abundant source of these vitamins for us
in lacto-fermented foods.
High Food Safety



As mentioned previously, the salty and
anaerobic environment by submerging
vegetables in salt water is ideal for only
lactobacilli to thrive in.
As they ferment, lactobacilli produce lactic
acid as a byproduct, thus also creating an
acidic environment.
Pathogens that spoil our food and are harmful
for us to consume are unable to live in this
salty, anaerobic, and acidic environment,
and thus are outcompeted by lactobacilli.
Room for Creativity
 Pay
attention to the salt: water ratio
 Wacky ingredients

spices, habaneros, fruit
 Wacky
shapes
 Grilled Pickles?
Pickle Activity
Image by Phil Jones + Threadless © 2012

Foroutan, MS, RD, R. (2012, February
20). The History and Health Benefits of
Fermented Food. Food & Nutrition
Magazine.

Katz, S. (2012). The art of
fermentation: an in-depth exploration
of essential concepts and processes
from around the world. White River
Junction, Vt: Chelsea Green Pub.

Mannelly, T. (2012, October 10). The
Science and History of Fermented
Foods. Retrieved October 8, 2014,
from http://ohlardy.com/the-scienceand-history-of-culturing-foods/

Ralph, N., & Terebelski, D. (2003,
January 1). Pickle History Timeline.
Retrieved October 20, 2014.

Shurtleff, W., & Aoyagi, A. (2004). A
Brief History of Fermentation, East and
West. In History of Soybeans and
Soyfoods, 1100 B.C. to the 1980s.
Lafayette, California: Soyfoods
Center.
References