Fermentation Biotechnology for Functional Foods

Fermentation-based processing advanced with global food systems as humanity started to organize the domestication of agriculture from plant and animal sources. These advances emerged across regions of the world from river valley civilizations in Asia (Mesopotamia, India and China) and Africa (Egypt) to Meso-American civilizations. As food crops and animal foods emerged from domestication to advancements in post-harvest processing stages, growth of invisible microbial systems led to modified foods that aligned with local palates of the communities. This in several cases became part of food systems, as it added a mode of preservation and improved the food quality that was preferred by each community. This is how the early genesis of fermented foods from grains, fruits and vegetables to animal meats and milk products became an integral part of early civilizations over 4000 years ago and has now carried over and further developed across many countries in every region of the world. The foundations of these food fermentations are now an integral part of modern food advances as preferred food substrates and the microbial interactions that drive the metabolic processes in defined food matrixes are being scientifically advanced.