Food Microbiology

Fermented food and beverage play an important role in the diet of people in many parts of the world. Fermented food provide important sources of nutrient and have great potential in maintaining health and preventing diseases. These harbour diverse microorganism from the environment, which include molds, yeast and bacteria, mostly lactic acid bacteria, bacilli and micrococci. There are many different types of fermented foods and beverages  produced in world wide. These include cereal-based fermented food, fermented milks,  and non-alcoholic beverage, fermented fruits and vegetables, and fermented meat. Beside the beneficial microorganisms some spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms are also present. Spoilage microorganisms spoil the food and are not harmful to humans. Pathogenic microorganisms are disease-causing microorganisms. The living microorganism or a toxin (microbial waste product) must be consumed to cause symptoms associated with specific pathogenic microorganisms.