Applications of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Fermented Foods and Beverages: Second Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 617

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) play a key role in the production of several fermented foods and beverages, such as fermented vegetables, wine and beer, milk-based products, fermented meat, and fish, among others. Advances in the study of fermented food and beverage microbiomes have shed light on the ecology and impact of bacteria and the quality of the final products. In addition, the advent of novel powerful technologies (e.g., omics technologies) has enabled the culture-independent assessment of the whole microbiome, as well as gene transcription and metabolomic analyses. Moreover, data integration, through bioinformatic tools, has provided an in-depth understanding of the bacterial biota composition and physiological responses to external stimuli, leading to the customization of final products to align with consumer needs. As was recently pointed out, the functionality of fermented foods, and the health benefits associated with their consumption, is a topic of great interest.

This Special Issue aims to collect research and review papers that present innovative viewpoints concerning the biotechnology of fermented foods and beverages, delving into aspects related to the microbial composition and dynamics during fermentation, the impact of both biotic and abiotic factors on the development of the microbiota and the metabolome, and the fate of bioactive compounds associated with health benefits.

Potential topics include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • LAB ecology in fermented foods and beverages;
  • The use of LAB for the control of food pathogens and alterative microorganisms;
  • LAB and the safety of fermented foods;
  • Lactic acid fermentation and bioactive metabolites;
  • The use of LAB with health-promoting features for the production of functional foods;
  • Molecular tools to unravel the health benefits of fermented foods;
  • Omics approaches in traditional and innovative fermented foods and beverages.

Dr. Alessandra Pino
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • lactic acid bacteria
  • fermented foods
  • probiotics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 4120 KiB  
Article
Unlocking the Potential of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus 73 as a Ripening Agent in Semi-Hard Cheese After Freeze-Drying and a Six-Month Storage Period
by Mara E. Batistela, Carina V. Bergamini, Elisa C. Ale and Guillermo H. Peralta
Fermentation 2025, 11(7), 409; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11070409 - 16 Jul 2025
Viewed by 480
Abstract
Dehydration and storage conditions used to preserve dairy cultures in the industry may negatively impact their viability and functionality. This study investigated the effects of freeze-drying and storage on the metabolic activity of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus 73 (L73). The strain’s viability after freeze-drying and [...] Read more.
Dehydration and storage conditions used to preserve dairy cultures in the industry may negatively impact their viability and functionality. This study investigated the effects of freeze-drying and storage on the metabolic activity of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus 73 (L73). The strain’s viability after freeze-drying and storage, its metabolic activity in cultured milk, and its performance as a ripening agent in miniature cheeses were evaluated. Neither the freeze-drying process nor the storage conditions negatively affected its viability, as L73 maintained its initially high levels (>10 log cfu mL−1) throughout the storage period. L73 improved the overall quality of the cheeses, as a reduction in hydrophobic peptides (i.e., potential bitter peptides) was evidenced in cheese manufactured with L73. Furthermore, L73 exhibited protective properties, as evidenced by the decreased availability of compounds that could be used as energy sources by adventitious microorganisms (e.g., galactose, hippuric acid) and the increased production of lactic acid in both cultured milk and cheese. Full article
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