9. Developments in food fermentations
Throughout the world there are many different types of fermented foods in which a range of different substrates are metabolised by a variety of microorganisms to yield products with unique and appealing characteristics. In many of these foods, the biological and microbiological bases of the fermentation processes are poorly understood. What little information is available often deals with the identification and perhaps preliminary characterisation of the primary microflora in the finished product. In some instances, there will undoubtedly be a need in the future to produce these foods in circumstances where quality and safety can be guaranteed. This in turn will necessitate a more thorough understanding of the microorganisms involved, in terms of the types and their specific activities, so that the fermentation process can be made more reliable and predictable. It is likely that basic microbiological analyses in conjunction with the appropriate technological developments will, in the first instance at least, be sufficient to achieve these objectives.