Industrial use of microorganisms plays a crucial role in food and beverage production, as well as in the creation of compounds like peptides, prebiotics, and organic acids. These processes contribute to food innovation and enhancement through preservation, functionality and nutrition. In particular, yeast and lactic acid bacteria are often added to various substrates to produce a wide range of products, including probiotics for functional foods, animal feed, and pharmaceuticals.
Traditionally, the fermentation process is controlled by adding starter cultures-concentrated forms of yeast and bacteria available for industrial use. These starters are available in frozen and dried forms with protective agents to maintain microorganism viability, especially during storage.
Producing and preserving microorganism biomass is costly, requiring diverse nutrients such as carbohydrates, nitrogen, vitamins, and minerals. The energy involved in fermentation, conditioning, preservation, and marketing also affects the carbon footprint. To reduce environmental impact, several strategies can be employed such as: reusing by-products from the food industry as nutrient sources, and selecting strains that thrive in eco-friendly processes, like low temperatures, to minimize heating costs.
For biomass or fermented product preservation, methods like spray and fluid bed drying offer cost-effective dehydration. However, selecting resistant microorganisms, suitable growth media, and optimal acclimation conditions are key to success.
This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Methods and Perspective article on the following subjects:
• Alternative by-products as nutrient sources for microorganisms;
• Enhancing tolerance of microorganisms to different industrial stress processes, including fermentation, dehydration, and preservation;
• Selecting or modifying strains from diverse environments to reduce environmental impact of food production;
• Reducing production times or temperatures for biomass creation.
Industrial use of microorganisms plays a crucial role in food and beverage production, as well as in the creation of compounds like peptides, prebiotics, and organic acids. These processes contribute to food innovation and enhancement through preservation, functionality and nutrition. In particular, yeast and lactic acid bacteria are often added to various substrates to produce a wide range of products, including probiotics for functional foods, animal feed, and pharmaceuticals.
Traditionally, the fermentation process is controlled by adding starter cultures-concentrated forms of yeast and bacteria available for industrial use. These starters are available in frozen and dried forms with protective agents to maintain microorganism viability, especially during storage.
Producing and preserving microorganism biomass is costly, requiring diverse nutrients such as carbohydrates, nitrogen, vitamins, and minerals. The energy involved in fermentation, conditioning, preservation, and marketing also affects the carbon footprint. To reduce environmental impact, several strategies can be employed such as: reusing by-products from the food industry as nutrient sources, and selecting strains that thrive in eco-friendly processes, like low temperatures, to minimize heating costs.
For biomass or fermented product preservation, methods like spray and fluid bed drying offer cost-effective dehydration. However, selecting resistant microorganisms, suitable growth media, and optimal acclimation conditions are key to success.
This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Methods and Perspective article on the following subjects:
• Alternative by-products as nutrient sources for microorganisms;
• Enhancing tolerance of microorganisms to different industrial stress processes, including fermentation, dehydration, and preservation;
• Selecting or modifying strains from diverse environments to reduce environmental impact of food production;
• Reducing production times or temperatures for biomass creation.