Traditional fermented foods as sources for isolation of diverse strains of lactic acid bacteria

Abstract

In Japan, there are many traditional fermented foods such as sake, soy sauce, miso, and pickles, which have various characteristic flavors and tastes. Lactic acid bacteria are one of the microorganisms that play the most widespread role in the production process of these traditionally fermented foods. Fermented foods are made from a variety of production sources such as milk, meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes, and there are a variety of lactic acid bacteria suitable for each environment depending on the nutrient composition, fermentation temperature, pH, salt concentration, and water activity, and their complex combinations. Thus, traditional lactic acid-fermented foods can be regarded as excellent selective media for the growth of lactic acid bacteria, which have been naturally developed in the history of food culture and food manufacturing technology. There are still many local fermented foods around the world whose microbiological details are yet to be investigated, therefore the whole picture of lactic acid food fermentation has not yet been completely clarified still now. This review article illustrates the value of investigating the ecology of lactic acid bacteria in traditional fermented foods as a source of isolation for various strains, although many past researchers have already been studied this issue over a long period of time.