Most fermented foods, including the major products that are common in the western world, as well many of those from other sources that are less well characterised, are dependent on lactic acid bacteria to mediate the fermentation process. The end-products of carbohydrate catabolism by these bacteria contribute not only to preservation but also to the flavour, aroma and texture, thereby helping to determine unique product characteristics. Being able to control the specific microorganisms or the succession of microorganisms that dominate the microflora of foods (which is the basis of development of starter homofercultures) is therefore very desirable. Fermentation may also increase the nutritional quality of food by increasing digestibility as in the fermentation of milk to cheese. In addition, the contribution of functional attributes to a food through fermentation is likely to be one of the major research themes of the next decade and beyond. This not only includes traditional activities such as the delivery of probiotic bacteria in products such as fermented milks, but will most probably be extended to the generation of functional components like vitamins, antioxidants and other compounds in a variety of different fermented foods (Steinkraus, 1998). Toxicity of foods may also be reduced by fermentation as occurs in the production of gari. A range of fermented foods, their country of origin and the microorganisms which dominate the fermentation, is shown in Table 1.