Vinegar is produced from raw materials containing starch
or sugar via sequential ethanol and acetic acid fermentations
(FAO/WHO 1982) and is used in a variety of food applications
(T¨urker 1963; Tan 2005). Grape, apple, and other fruit juices are
the primary starting materials used for vinegar production (Adams
1985) although rice vinegar,malt vinegar, and beer vinegar are also
produced in some countries. The production of vinegar typically
involves a first fermentation where simple sugars in raw material
are converted to alcohol by yeasts. The resultant alcohol is further
oxidized to acetic acid by AAB during the last fermentation
(Gullo and Giudici 2008). Several methods of vinegar production
exist but primarily 2 methods are used commercially. The first
is a traditional method classified as a “surface method” in which
the culture of AAB grows on the surface of wood shavings and
provides oxygen at the surface. The second method, classified as
a “submerged culture” is a method in which oxygen is supplied
in fermentation to accelerate industrial production (Garcia-Parilla
and others 1997). The general production method for vinegar is
shown in Figure 1.