Traditional and Innovative Fermented Dairy Products

A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Fermentation for Food and Beverages".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 620

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Milk Hygiene and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: dairy technology; dairy hygiene
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Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
Interests: dairy science and technology; fermentation; lactic acid bacteria; donkey milk; bioactive peptides; probiotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fermented dairy products such as cheese and yogurt, as well as ayran, kefir, koumis, viili and other fermented milks, have long played a central role in human nutrition and culture development.

Historically rooted in local knowledge and the use of spontaneous fermentation and back-slopping, traditional fermented dairy products offer unique flavors and textures shaped by regional environments and practices. In contrast, modern industrial production harnesses defined starter cultures and sophisticated processing technologies to ensure hygiene, safety, and consistency. Integrating adjunct (flavor and protective) and probiotic cultures further enhances the flavor development, health benefits, safety and manufacturing of specialized products to meet consumers’ preferences.

This Special Issue will explore the dynamic intersection of tradition and innovation in the world of fermented dairy products, many of them made from sheep, goat, buffalo and equine milk, highlighting both artisanal manufacturing and cutting-edge industrial processes. We request articles discussing the latest research on microbial ecology, fermentation pathways, the effects of secondary microbiota and the functional properties of fermented dairy products, as well as on the role of starter and adjunct cultures in developing novel products that meet evolving consumer demand for healthy, sustainable and authentic dairy foods.

Dr. Thomas Bintsis
Dr. Photis Papademas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Fermentation is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • fermented dairy products
  • cheese
  • yogurt
  • kefir
  • fermented milk
  • artisanal dairy products
  • starter culture
  • adjunct culture
  • probiotic culture
  • autochthonous microorganisms

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2034 KB  
Article
Fermentation Strategies to Improve Argentinian Kefir Quality: Impact of Double Fermentation on Physicochemical, Microbial, and Functional Properties
by Raúl Ricardo Gamba, Andrea Ibáñez, Sofía Sampaolesi, Pablo Mobili and Marina Alejandra Golowczyc
Fermentation 2025, 11(10), 584; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11100584 (registering DOI) - 11 Oct 2025
Abstract
This present study investigated the microbial dynamics, physicochemical and functional properties, and sensory characteristics of kefir produced by two different approaches: traditional kefir obtained directly from grains and kefir manufactured through a double-fermentation process in cow milk. For the first fermentation, kefir grains [...] Read more.
This present study investigated the microbial dynamics, physicochemical and functional properties, and sensory characteristics of kefir produced by two different approaches: traditional kefir obtained directly from grains and kefir manufactured through a double-fermentation process in cow milk. For the first fermentation, kefir grains were inoculated in milk at different levels (1%, 3%, and 5% w/v) and incubated at 30 °C for 24 h. The lowest inoculation level promoted the greatest increase in grain biomass, whereas higher inoculation levels produced more pronounced pH decreases. All products maintained stable pH values during refrigerated storage at 4 °C for 15 days. Products derived from initial fermentations with 1% and 3% inoculum were subsequently used in a second fermentation step at two inoculation levels (1% and 10% v/v) to produce double-fermentation kefir products. These products exhibited higher counts of lactic acid bacteria and reduced yeast populations compared with traditional grain kefir. After 15 days of storage, all kefir samples maintained more than 108 CFU/mL of lactic acid bacteria, more than 107 CFU/mL of acetic acid bacteria, and around 105 CFU/mL of yeasts. Protein content was comparable among all kefir products and unfermented milk. The product obtained with 1% grains followed by 10% v/v inoculation showed enhanced biofilm formation that increased during storage and displayed the strongest antimicrobial activity, and was therefore selected for sensory evaluation, where it achieved favorable acceptance by regular kefir consumers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traditional and Innovative Fermented Dairy Products)
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15 pages, 656 KB  
Article
Development of Fermented Milks with Lacticaseibacillus casei B5 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum B7 Isolated from Minas Artisanal Cheese
by Camila Selles de Queiroz, Bruna Samara dos Santos Rekowsky, Madian Johel Galo Salgado, Maria Fernanda Barreto da Hora Lopes, Marcelo Resende de Souza, Marion Pereira da Costa and José Givanildo da Silva
Fermentation 2025, 11(10), 560; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11100560 - 28 Sep 2025
Viewed by 441
Abstract
The aim of this study was to develop fermented milks using strains of lactic acid bacteria with probiotic potential isolated from Minas artisanal cheese. For this purpose, the strains Lacticaseibacillus casei B5 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum B7 were used in a 6 × 4 [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to develop fermented milks using strains of lactic acid bacteria with probiotic potential isolated from Minas artisanal cheese. For this purpose, the strains Lacticaseibacillus casei B5 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum B7 were used in a 6 × 4 experimental design, with six fermented milk treatments and four analyses on days 1, 15, 30 and 45 to characterize the product and evaluate the viability of the bacteria. Additionally, a sensory analysis was conducted using a preference ranking test. All treatments showed viable counts of microorganisms above 106 CFU/mL until the end of the storage period, as well as variations in pH and titratable acidity values on day 45, being the lowest value of both verified in the TRAT1B7 sample. Based on the application of a sensory analysis, it was observed that the type of treatment and the strain directly impacted the sample chosen by the tasters. According to results gathered from the present study, milk fermented by L. casei B5 stands out in the order of preference, however milk fermented by L. plantarum B7 has also obtained favorable results, indicating that this strain of bacteria can be used in dairy technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traditional and Innovative Fermented Dairy Products)
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