CALS Farm and Industry Short Course Program: Farm Microbiology: Special Pages

Review of Fermented Food Products

Linked from Section 5 Lecture Notes.

I. Summary of Inhibitory Agents Generally Used in Fermented Food Products:
(Note other functions besides inhibition of microorganisms.)

						inhibitory
				NaCl (added)		taste
						help "extract" H₂O
				Nitrite		inhibitory (C.botulinum)
				(added)		color (with acid & heat)
						inhibitory
Sugar (added)	(bact.)			Acid		taste
(yeasts)						"tighten up" protein
Ethanol		inhibitory		Anaerobic		inhibitory
+				conditions		help fermentation
CO₂		leavening

II. Review of Additives in Some Specific Fermented Food Products:

	Utilize starter culture or wild fermentation?	Add sugar?	Other additives?
Sauerkraut
Silage
Sausage
Bread
Wine, beer
Vinegar
Yogurt
Cheese

Page last modified on
1/25/05 at 8:45 PM, CST.
John Lindquist, Dept. of Bacteriology,
University of Wisconsin – Madison