6 Amazing Uses of Fermentation in Food, Health & Industry (Explained Simply)

Fermentation is a chemical process by which carbohydrates such as glucose or starch are broken down anaerobically, forming new products. Fermentation has a wide range of uses. Since ancient times, almost 10,000 years ago, humans have used fermentation to produce beer and wine, bread, yogurt, apple cider vinegar, and other foods. Fermentation now also has an industrial use for ethanol production as a source of biofuel, biodegradable plastics, and many more.

Fermentation and Human Civilizations

Back in the day, almost 10,000 B.C.E., people of the first civilization in the Middle East came upon fermentation, a chemical process that alters sugars into valuable products. Of course, they didn’t know anything about the chemical response, but seeing how sugar can be turned into valuable products in specific circumstances was fascinating.

This chemical process also spread to other regions, and by 5,000 B.C.E., Sumerians and Egyptians used fermentation to produce bread, wine, etc.

Eventually, in the nineteenth century, Louis Pasture, a remarkable scientist, discovered that fermentation occurs when microorganisms, including bacteria and yeast, are present.

Later, he found and pointed out that different bacteria have different fermentation processes, resulting in various uses of fermentation and end products.

How Does Fermentation Happen? The Biochemical View

Fermentation is a chemical process that begins when two conditions are met:

The absence of oxygen
The presence of microorganisms

The present microorganisms, such as bacteria, yeast, and mold, are fed during fermentation. If there is enough sugar, the fermentation process begins, and these microbes break down the sugar and turn it into two pyruvate molecules, alcohol, and acids.

Different Types of Fermentation

There are three primary forms of fermentation: lactic acid fermentation, ethanol/alcohol fermentation, and acetic acid fermentation.

Lactic Acid Fermentation

This type of fermentation is probably the most common one, where probiotic bacteria and yeast strains turn the natural sugar present in our everyday foods into more delightful and delicious meals.

The lactic acid fermentation process is also very vital in the baking industry, giving fluffiness and life to bread, cakes, pizza, and sourdoughs by the chemical action of yeast.

Ethyl Alcohol Fermentation

Ethanol fermentation is a popular process among humans, providing you with your favorite alcoholic beverages. In this fermentation process, sugars, such as glucose or sucrose, are broken down with the help of a special type of yeast. The carbs are then turned into carbon dioxide molecules and ethyl alcohol.

Uses of Fermentation in Food Production

Fermentation in foods refers to altering the properties and physicochemical structure of foods. Fermented foods have gained more popularity among individuals in the last few years due to their health benefits.

Historically speaking, before refrigeration was invented, people used to perform fermentation on various foods to preserve them from contamination.

Another fermentation solution is how it can enhance the organoleptic properties, such as the taste and texture of foods, to be more delightful and edible. A common example is removing the bitterness of olives to make them more presentable and edible.

Name	Description	Origin
Kefir	A starter culture called “kefir grains,” which consists of lactose-fermenting yeast, is added to milk, giving it a creamy texture and sour taste.	Caucasus
Kimchi	Kimchi is a mixture of salted and fermented Chinese vegetables, pepper, onion, soybean sauce, and sesame seeds, and sometimes an additional item of food like pear or shrimp. The fermentation begins with the microorganisms naturally found in the cabbage.	Korea
Sourdough Bread	The sourdough starter is made by the fermentation of flour by lactic acid bacteria and yeast, made in seven days. Then, a small portion is added to the sourdough base ingredients to activate the sourdough fermentation process.	Middle East and Europe
Kombucha	A fermented tea beverage is made when the traditional black tea, white sugar, and yeast have undergone aerobic fermentation.	China
Sauerkraut	The shredded cabbage and 2.3%-3% salt are left in a place for some time to undergo spontaneous fermentation, and once the pH level is low, it results in preserved cabbage.	China

Based on an article published on goodFood, there are multiple key factors that impact the variations of the final fermented products and what nutrition they offer.

The type of microorganisms
The nutrition of the ingredients used in the fermentation process
What environmental conditions the food was exposed to

What are the Health Benefits of Fermented Foods?

Beneficial Bacteria: Some of the fermented foods you consume might have a probiotic effect, which contributes to the restoration of bacteria’s balance, resolves issues with digestion in the body, and improves the immune system to resist in front of the risks of infections like the common cold.
Potential Benefit on Mental Health: A few studies indicate that consuming fermented foods has a direct correlation with reducing the symptoms of depression or anxiety.
Improving the Digestibility of Certain Foods: The bacterial breakdown of natural sugars makes them into a more digestible food. Thanks to the fermentation, individuals intolerant of lactose can now enjoy milk when the lactose is broken down to glucose and galactose and turned into kefir, yogurt, and cheese that not only does not upset your stomach but is in fact, very healthy for you, too!

Uses of Fermentation in Alcohol Production

Earlier in the article, we mentioned how fermentation can produce alcoholic beverages like wine or beer. However, the type of alcoholic beverage produced solely depends on two key factors:

Plant chosen for fermentation
Enzymes used for fermentation

Since ages ago, people have used any plant accessible to them, like berries, corn, rice, wheat, etc., for fermentation. Each alcoholic beverage produced is different in characteristics and has a unique name.

Initially, only the naturally occurring yeast was employed to make alcoholic beverages, and the reaction depended on the enzymes in the specific wild yeast.

However, the wine industry has grown significantly, and manufacturers can choose from a wide range of commercially produced yeasts, each with different reactions, to control the direction of fermentation.

Use of Fermentation in the Pharmaceutical Sector

Fermentation is widely used in the pharmaceutical sector to form different drugs, such as antibiotics, anticancer cytotoxic, and anti-infectious drugs. The fermentation techniques can help lower production costs and manufacture drugs with uniform and high quality.

The Future Prospects

Fermentation is already being used in the formation of various drugs, but there is hope that the use of fermentation in the pharmaceutical sector will expand. One area that might need fermentation’s help is stem cell therapy to produce therapeutic cells on a larger scale.

Use of Fermentation in Minimizing Food Waste

Food waste has become one of our century’s major issues, including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, etc.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, food waste also contributes to 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions every year and causes rapid weather changes.

In order to prevent the food waste issue from getting entirely out of hand, we need to approach food waste valorization, which is the act of turning food waste materials into more valuable products. Fermentation is among the oldest tricks of turning those food wastes into value-added products.

Giving value to food waste comes with many benefits:

Creating value-added, useable products
Reducing environmental pollution
Removing the foul odor of food waste and the spread of pathogens

Fermentation Equipment and Technology Advancement

Technical advancements have had a substantial transformational role in how agro-processing food has thrived, the industrial fermentation process included.

Various machines are employed during the fermentation process at large industrial scales. What they do is essentially make the environment hospitable for microorganisms, such as yeast and bacteria, to perform the fermentation in the best circumstance possible.

These machines are precise in what they do. On an industrial scale, keeping track of the temperature, pressure, oxygen level, and other factors that contribute to a well-suited environment for the fermentation process is challenging. But with the employment of these machines and advanced technology, manufacturers can easily control the different factors and ensure the final product is high-quality and consistent.

Conclusion

In this article, we walked you through the importance of fermentation and its impact on our daily lives and various industries. This biotechnological tool has been a great help during the development of humanity.

This enduring relationship between humans and the microbial world is a testament to how an old and ancient process can still be used in our kitchens and laboratories!

FAQ

1- What are the uses of fermenters?

Fermenters are vital to industries, from biotechnology to food and beverage production. They are large equipment, like containers, and their main objective is to provide a suitable environment for microorganisms like fungi and bacteria to grow in large scales to carry out fermentation. Fermenters are made from metal that does not decay and are so immense that they can contain liters.

2- What are the common uses of fermentation in daily life?

Fermentation has been a part of our lives for so long now. Even if we do not notice it, we are still in contact with so many products resulting from fermentation. From the bread you eat every morning to the yogurt in your fridge, they are all a product of fermentation. Fermentation’s role in the food and beverage sector is to create long-lasting, nutritious foods. Fermentation is key in beverages like beer, wine, and kombucha. Fermentation can even go beyond the food and beverage sector. In probiotics, fermentation is used for gut health and in biofuels for energy. In the pharmaceutical sector, fermentation is used in antibiotics and vaccines.

3- How does fermentation improve gut health?

There is a visible surge seen in fermented foods usage and it’s only getting more popular. One of the common advices you might hear from people around you is that to elevate your gut health you must eat more fermented foods. The reason is because fermented foods multiply the probiotics in digestive tract, helping to boost gut health. The live microorganisms also reduce the risks of cholesterol buildup in the arteries that might cause blockages.