Fermented Food Factory

Did you know that one small yeast is a great helper in the production of bread, wine and beer?

Starter culture

Preparations containing live microorganisms, used to produce various fermented foods to enrich the food with different products of metabolism.

Anaerobic living conditions

Living conditions without oxygen.

Aerobic living conditions

Oxygen living conditions.

Man used yeast before he learned to write. Ancient Egyptians used the fermentation process to raise dough 3000 years ago but did not know how the process worked. Besides bread, thanks to experience, they also produced wine and beer by fermentation, although they could not explain how it was made.

Namely, carbohydrates from foods, by fermentation, are broken down into simpler, more easily digestible elements, usually under anaerobic conditions. Fermented foods are rich in nutrients, enzymes and good bacteria. They are most often produced by adding a starter culture to improve the quality of the food. Today, starter cultures are used for fermented vegetables, yogurt, kefir, beer, and many other foods.

Fermentation is a set of biochemical reactions that produce the breakdown of complex organic compounds into simpler ones.

ALCOHOLIC FERMENTATION is a microbial process of breaking down carbohydrates, most commonly glucose monosaccharides into ethanol and CO₂, and takes place under anaerobic conditions. The microorganism used for fermentation is Saccharomyces cerevisiae which has an optimum operating temperature at 28 - 32 °C. This form of fermentation is used in the production of alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, and even bread, which, by using alcoholic fermentation products, obtain the volume.

DAIRY FERMENTATION is a microbiological process of breaking down glucose into lactic acid under anaerobic conditions. The microorganisms used for this type of fermentation are called lactic acid bacteria, most commonly the microorganisms of the genus Lactobacillus and Streptococcus. The optimum temperature for dairy fermentation in industry is 45 - 50 °C. Dairy fermentation is used in the production of dairy products such as yogurt, butter, kefir, but also in the production of sauerkraut and fermented meat products such as sausages.

Fermented foods are rich in nutrients, enzymes and "good" bacteria and maintain the balance of our gut bacteria. This protects the digestive tract health and improves immunity.

Fermentation is one of the oldest and most technologically important food preservation processes during which enzymes break down sugars in the body of the microorganism, resulting in new substances such as alcohol, lactic acid, vitamins and aromas. Food that can be fermented serve as food for the fermenting microorganism. Fermented food is the ultimate product of high biological value, which implies the presence and utilization of food ingredients in the human body. Also, the end product can have a slightly acidic or slightly spicy taste, while the smell is characteristic for each product because fermentation besides the ethanol and CO₂, produces butyrate, butanol and isopropanol, which contribute to the complete experience of food and beverage.

The Good bacteria

The "good" bacteria are those that live in our gut and are beneficial for the health of the digestive and immune systems, which is why maintaining their balance is important. Some "good bacteria" that are thought to suppress the growth of potentially "harmful" bacteria, enhance the immune system to help protect against infections, inflammation and pathogens, and help in the production of Vitamin K, belong to probiotics.