Vinegar traditionally has been used as a food preservative.
Whether naturally produced during fermentation or
intentionally added, vinegar retards microbial growth and
contributes sensory properties to a number of foods. The wide
diversity of products containing vinegar (sauces, ketchup,
mayonnaise, etc.) and the current fall in wine consumption
have favored an increase in vinegar production (De Ory et al
2002).
According to FDA (Food and Drug Administration, USA),
vinegar as a sour solution, contains not less than 4 grams of
acetic acid in 100 cubic centimeters at 20°C that is produced
through alcoholic and successively acetic fermentation of
sugary and starchy substrates. Earlier processes used for
making vinegar were the Orleans process (which is also
known as the slow process), the quick process (which is also
called the generator process), and the submerged culture