Fermented Food - part 1

(Mandl, 2019)

Food trends are changing and emerging globally. This blog introduces one of the popular food trends, fermented food. Fermented food is consumed globally with high popularity. The market for fermentation products was estimated to be worth 149.5 billion US dollars in 2016 and is anticipated to surpass 205.5 billion US dollars by 2023 (Wunsch, 2020). The term “fermentation” originated from the Latin word fermentum (Chojnacka, 2023). In its historical definition, fermentation described this process as one in which microbial enzymes modify the chemical composition of an organic substrate. Fermentation is one of the antiquity methods of food processing and preservation of raw materials. From the perspective of multi-culture, fermentation had been developed in different countries and it has become a part of food culture. Not only it can be made with low-cost components, but it also contributes to the human diet, particularly in households in rural regions and village societies. It became popular because it has a variety of tastes and textures, not just the preservation. Data from their whole client base was evaluated by Upserve, a tech-based restaurant management platform, and it was discovered that consumption of fermented foods increased by an astounding 149% in 2018 alone (Saxe, 2019). 

One of the benefits of fermentation is that it helps in dealing with food waste. In fact, 70% of the food wasted in the UK was produced by households, who threw away 6.6 million tonnes of food, of which 4.5 million tonnes were edible. There was sufficient edible food to provide an additional 10.5 billion meals (Jackman, 2021). Additionally, it is extremely energy-intensive: 33% of global warming-related emissions from agriculture (Vansintjan, 2019). Consumers who learn how to ferment at home can preserve their food without having to cook or freeze it, both of which require more energy. As a result, it is a low-tech solution to a high-tech problem.

It not only allows for the extension of food shelf life and saves food waste, but also provides additional benefits such as limiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria, improving organoleptic qualities and product digestibility, and serving as a great source of useful microorganisms. In general, epidemiological research has indicated that eating fermented foods can improve health or lower the chance of developing certain diseases. For instance, older Mediterranean seniors who ate diets high in yoghurt had a lower chance of developing metabolic syndrome (Babio et al., 2015). Numerous studies show that meals with a fermentation process, like yoghurt, kimchi, and fermented soy products, might enhance pertinent biomarkers. For instance, eating kimchi helped overweight and obese adults with their fasting blood sugar and other signs of metabolic syndrome (Kim et al., 2011).

Conversely, there are risks of growth potential pathogenic microorganisms in fermented foods. It may result in the chance of receiving a contaminated product rising when low-quality components are utilised in the creation of a fermented product and those ingredients initially include a substantial amount of bacteria, fungi, or the toxin produced by those organisms. Furthermore, it is easily found fermented foods marketed locally in developing countries packaged in non-sterile utensils, discarded jute bags, or paper (e.g., newspaper), as well as gourds or leaves, due to poverty and limited consumer knowledge. Even with a carefully executed production process, the inability to purchase appropriate packaging to avoid microbial spoilage adds a considerable risk of food contamination (Oguntoyinbo, 2014).

The video below provides a brief information about fermented food. 

(What are fermented foods? ISAPP educational video, 2021)

Popular fermented products have a significant impact on our lives. Fermented food may operate as an expression of cultural identity because culture has been developed with this; it is beyond the food, and it creates a connection between people, cultures, and communities.

In the next chapter, more specific types and examples of fermented food will be discussed.