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Fermentation
Special Issues
Safety and Quality in Fermented Beverages
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Safety and Quality in Fermented Beverages

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 5155

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Fernanda Cosme

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemistry Research Centre-Vila Real (CQ-VR), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: food science and technology; winemaking; alcoholic beverages; grapes; wine; wine stability; wine quality; wine aging; wine safety; fining; phenolic compounds; proteins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Fernando M. Nunes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry/Chemistry Research Centre-Vila Real, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: food chemistry; wine quality and safety; Maillard reaction; melanoidins; nutraceuticals including gluten detoxification for celiac patients; phenolic compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Luís Filipe-Ribeiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemistry Research Centre-Vila Real (CQ-VR), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: food chemistry; oenology; analytical methods; winemaking; wine stability; phenolic compounds; aroma compounds; sensory analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Miguel Ribeiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemistry Research Centre-Vila Real (CQ-VR), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: genetics; proteomics; biotechnology; therapeutics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The production of fermented beverages poses its own challenges, and ensuring both the safety and quality of these beverages is paramount to public health. The fermentation process relies on microbial activity, often involving bacteria and yeast. However, not all microorganisms are beneficial or harmless. Ensuring the safety of fermented beverages involves controlling the presence and growth of pathogens that can cause spoilage. Beyond safety, the quality of a fermented beverage is essential for its commercial success. Factors such as flavor, aroma, and appearance all contribute to the overall quality. Quality control measures can include sensory analysis, chemical analysis, and ensuring consistency in production processes. Different fermented beverages require distinct fermentation techniques. Understanding the specific requirements of each beverage is crucial for producing a safe and high-quality product. Techniques can range from using specific yeast strains to controlling temperature and pH levels during fermentation. Compliance with local and international regulations is crucial for ensuring the safety and quality of fermented beverages. These regulations may cover aspects such as labeling, production practices, and limits for certain substances (like sulfites, biogenic amines, and mycotoxins) or on alcohol content. Safety and quality are key considerations in the production and consumption of fermented beverages. By understanding the microbial processes involved, implementing quality control measures, complying with regulations, and staying informed about emerging trends, producers can create products that are not only safe but also enjoyable and commercially successful.

Main Topics:

  • Fermented beverages
  • Fermented beverage microbiology
  • Fermented beverage safety
  • Fermented beverage quality
  • The microbial spoilage of fermented beverages
  • The role of LAB within fermented beverage safety and quality
  • Emerging trends in fermented beverages
  • Fermented beverage contaminations
  • The mitigation of fermented beverage contaminations
  • Biogenic amines
  • Ethyl carbamate
  • Volatile phenols
  • Off-flavors
  • “Brett Character” and mousy taint
  • Oxidized taints from acetaldehyde
  • The production of mycotoxins

Dr. Fernanda Cosme
Dr. Fernando M. Nunes
Dr. Luís Filipe-Ribeiro
Dr. Miguel Ribeiro
Guest Editors

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. Fermentation is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2100 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.

Keywords

  • microbial spoilage
  • safety
  • quality
  • contaminants
  • yeasts
  • fungal
  • lactic acid bacterial
  • biogenic amines
  • ethyl carbamate
  • volatile phenols

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 6475 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Urease from Providencia sp. LBBE and Its Application in Degrading Urea and Ethyl Carbamate in Rice Wine
by Han Wang, Dandan Li, Sibao Zhu, Shuxian Guo, Jiahong Ding, Chuanchao Wu and Qingtao Liu
Fermentation 2024, 10(12), 653; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10120653 - 17 Dec 2024
Viewed by 590
Abstract
Enzymatic degradation of the carcinogen ethyl carbamate (EC) and its precursor urea is a promising method for controlling EC levels in alcoholic beverages. However, limited enzymes with EC-hydrolyzing activity and low ethanol or acid tolerance hinder their practical application. Here, a new urease [...] Read more.
Enzymatic degradation of the carcinogen ethyl carbamate (EC) and its precursor urea is a promising method for controlling EC levels in alcoholic beverages. However, limited enzymes with EC-hydrolyzing activity and low ethanol or acid tolerance hinder their practical application. Here, a new urease with urea- and EC-hydrolyzing activities from Providencia sp. LBBE was characterized. The enzyme displayed considerable ethanol tolerance, retaining 42.4% activity after 1 h of incubation with 30% (v/v) ethanol at 37 °C. It exhibited broad pH tolerance (pH 3.0–8.0), with optimal pH 7.0 for EC and 7.5 for urea. After treatment at pH 4.5 and 5.0, it retained 41.3% and 59.4% activity, respectively. The Km and Vmax for EC and urea at pH 4.5 were 515.6 mM, 33.9 µmol/(min⸱mg) and 32.0 mM, 263.6 µmol/(min⸱mg), respectively. Using 6000 U/L purified enzyme at 30 °C for 9 h, 49.8% and 81.6% of urea was removed from rice wine (pH 4.5 and 7.0), respectively. No appreciable reduction in EC was observed under identical conditions, which may be ascribed to the minimal EC affinity. This study contributes to the future realization of the effective control of EC content in alcoholic beverages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Safety and Quality in Fermented Beverages)
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20 pages, 3632 KiB  
Article
Primary Metabolites and Microbial Diversity in Commercial Kombucha Products
by Jonathan H. Sogin and Randy W. Worobo
Fermentation 2024, 10(8), 385; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10080385 - 26 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1519
Abstract
Kombucha brewers selling non-alcoholic beverages in the United States must ensure that the ethanol content of their products remains below 0.5% (v/v) throughout all stages of production and shelf life. Producers struggle to comply with this regulation in the [...] Read more.
Kombucha brewers selling non-alcoholic beverages in the United States must ensure that the ethanol content of their products remains below 0.5% (v/v) throughout all stages of production and shelf life. Producers struggle to comply with this regulation in the absence of expensive dealcoholizing equipment if they wish to sell the unpasteurized or minimally pasteurized products that consumers typically expect. To identify which bacterial and/or fungal species contribute to the high ethanol content of commercial kombucha, we analyzed 47 commercial kombucha samples purchased at supermarkets near Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, USA. We analyzed samples for ethanol content via HPLC, microbial load determination, and next-generation amplicon sequencing of the bacterial and fungal populations of those samples. Two brands were found to contain significantly more than 0.5% ethanol (v/v) in the tested samples (t-test, p < 0.05, greater), and three brands were found to contain significantly different amounts of sugar in the tested samples compared to what was reported on the nutrition label (one higher and two lower, t-test, p < 0.05, two-sided). The microbial communities of the samples most significantly varied due to brand (PERMANOVA, p < 0.05). The main bacterial genera observed in the samples were Komagataeibacter, Acetobacter, Gluconobacter, Oenococcus, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium. The main fungal genera observed in the samples were Saccharomyces, Dekkera, Cyberlindnera, Lachancea, Schizosaccharomyces, and Pichia. We did not identify any bacterial or fungal species associated with differences in ethanol content between samples within brands, suggesting significant strain variation in the bacteria and fungi involved in commercial kombucha fermentation. However, we did find that the relative abundance of Lactobacillales and the lactic acid content of the samples were significantly correlated (Kendall correlation test, p < 0.05). These results build upon recent research elucidating the role of lactic acid bacteria in the commercial fermentation of kombucha. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Safety and Quality in Fermented Beverages)
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15 pages, 318 KiB  
Article
Comparative Evaluation of Health-Promoting Compounds, Physicochemical and Microbiological Properties of Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] Based Mahewu Produced by Different Traditional Brewers in Thohoyandou, South Africa
by Mpho Edward Mashau, Dakalo Muluvhu and Shonisani Eugenia Ramashia
Fermentation 2024, 10(5), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10050236 - 28 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1323
Abstract
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolour (L.) Moench) is an emerging reliable alternative for mahewu production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health-promoting compounds, physicochemical and microbiological properties of sorghum-based mahewu produced by different traditional brewers in Thohoyandou, South Africa. A total of [...] Read more.
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolour (L.) Moench) is an emerging reliable alternative for mahewu production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health-promoting compounds, physicochemical and microbiological properties of sorghum-based mahewu produced by different traditional brewers in Thohoyandou, South Africa. A total of 18 mahewu samples produced by six traditional brewers (TB1–TB6) were collected and compared for antioxidant, physicochemical, and microbiological properties. Commercial sorghum mahewu was used as a control sample. The total phenolic content of the mahewu samples varied from 27.37 to 65.89 GAE /g, with commercial mahewu having a lower value. The flavonoid content ranged from 0.18 to 0.30 GAE/g, and commercial mahewu had a higher value. The DPPH scavenging activity and FRAP of mahewu samples ranged from 44.62% to 49% and 1.47 to 2.36 mg GAE/g, respectively. Commercial mahewu had a higher DPPH value but a lower FRAP value. The pH of mahewu varied significantly, ranging from 3.38 to 3.66, but was within the acceptable range. The °Brix values varied from 9.68 to 17.49, with traditional mahewu samples having higher values than commercial mahewu. Total titratable acidity ranged from 0.63 to 1.17%. The viscosity ranged from 444.33 to 1297.00 cP, with commercial mahewu having a higher value. There was a significant variation in the color of the mahewu samples with respect to L*, a*, b*, C, Hue, and ΔΕ. The growth of yeasts and molds varied from 7.95 log10 to 8.99 log10 (cfu/mL) in traditional mahewu samples, and coliforms ranged from 3.68 to 5.96 log10 (cfu/mL) and were not isolated in commercial mahewu. The total plate count ranged from 7.914 to 8.978 log10 (cfu/mL). The microbiological results show that traditional brewers are meeting the legal limit and can increase their products for commercialization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Safety and Quality in Fermented Beverages)

Review

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14 pages, 912 KiB  
Review
Current Updates on Lactic Acid Production and Control during Baijiu Brewing
by Yabin Zhou and Jin Hua
Fermentation 2024, 10(10), 505; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10100505 - 1 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1194
Abstract
Lactic acid is closely linked to the safety and quality of baijiu, the traditional Chinese fermented alcoholic beverage. Produced by lactic acid bacteria during fermentation, it creates an acidic environment that inhibits the growth of spoilage organisms and harmful microbes, thereby enhancing the [...] Read more.
Lactic acid is closely linked to the safety and quality of baijiu, the traditional Chinese fermented alcoholic beverage. Produced by lactic acid bacteria during fermentation, it creates an acidic environment that inhibits the growth of spoilage organisms and harmful microbes, thereby enhancing the safety and stability of the final product. Additionally, lactic acid is a key contributor to baijiu’s flavor profile, providing a smooth and rounded taste. Its levels can significantly impact consumer experience. An excess of lactic acid can result in a sour, undesirable flavor, while insufficient levels may lead to a flat and less appealing taste. Maintaining balanced lactic acid levels is crucial for ensuring that baijiu is both safe and enjoyable to drink, ultimately contributing to the product’s success and marketability. This paper reviews the mechanisms of lactic acid production in baijiu, examines its effects on flavor and the potential causes of imbalances, explores regulatory measures for controlling lactic acid during brewing, and discusses the impact of these measures on baijiu’s quality, taste, and yield, along with practical applications by various distilleries. The goal of this paper is to provide a reference for regulating lactic acid in the baijiu production processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Safety and Quality in Fermented Beverages)
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