The Future of Functional Fermented Beverages: The Case of Kombucha

Dear Colleagues,

Kombucha, invariably known as tea fungus, tea kvass, Manchurian mushroom, champignon de longue vie, and chainii grib, has a long history. The origin of kombucha can be traced back to 220 B.C. in northeast China (Manchuria), where it was popularly used for its perceived functional health properties, which include healing, benefits and detoxification, and energizing properties. The fermented beverage, which originated in China, is a popular, healthy, and functional traditional fermented beverage. With the increase in global trading routes, kombucha has spread throughout the world, and it is now popular in many Western countries. Originally, kombucha was prepared from black tea or green tea with added organic sugars or materials containing sucrose. There are two main types of this ancient fermented beverage, namely hard (alcoholic) and non-alcoholic Kombucha. Many authorities around the world control the commercial production and marketing of Kombucha due to the presence of alcohol. Due to rapid developments in research, kombucha can be prepared from a large variety of substrates such as red wine, fruit juices (grape juice, apple juice, etc.), dark beer, lemon balm, and medicinal herbs, as well as lactose, molasses, and whey.  With the current increase in kombucha research, we are likely to experience an exponential growth in retail products soon. This Special Issue aims to create a platform for authors to showcase their work and passion for Kombucha.

We are, therefore, inviting authors to share their research on kombucha with the wider community through publishing their work in this Special Issue of Beverages. Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following: fermentation mechanisms, microbiota interactions, functional metabolites, flavour formation, innovative processing and optimization strategies, applications and characterization of bacterial cellulose (SCOBY), health benefits, food safety and regulatory aspects, and potential risks or toxicity associated with consumption. This Special Issue will consider a wide range of papers, including original research articles, reviews, and position papers.

Dr. Anthony N. Mutukumira
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Beverages is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• kombucha
• fermentation
• microbial interactions
• SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast)
• functional metabolites
• flavour development
• potential functional and health benefits
• innovative processing
• bacterial cellulose applications
• optimization strategies
• applications
• potential risks or toxicity