A bowl with Sauerkraut. For its production, cabbage is cut and
salted,
and ripes under exclusion of air. Lactic acid-producing bacteria
develop
spontaneously. They generate the typical flavour and stabilize the
product
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Most people are fearing microorganisms - particularly in their food.
However, microbial activities do not always spoil food. In many cases,
the microbes produce the typical flavour and help to conserve food by
the production of acid or - in the case of beverages - alcohol. Many
microbiological processes have been developed over thousands of
years, although people did not know about the existence of
microorganisms.
Besides the alcoholic fermentation by yeast, lactic acid
fermetations are used in many processes. Furthermore, the microbial
production of vinegar from alcohol and cheese production by means
of propionibacteria are important. Acids prevent - particularly
together with salt - growth of any pathogenic bacteria.
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Microbes in the Kitchen
