Fermented foods have enhanced preservation, nutritional value, functionality, organoleptic properties and economic value. This chapter summarizes common fermented food products found globally as reported by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. It identifies and describes some novel approaches to fermented functional foods, and how these techniques enhance the functionality of such foods. In so doing, it addresses the technologies associated with nutraceutical production of fermented foods and the associated health benefits and functions of fermented food products. The functional food industry is a growing segment of the consumer market that is driven by the perception of, as well as clinically proven studies on, health and wellness benefits of foods rich in nutritional components. Biopreservation of fermented foods depends on the biological activities of microflora that produce a range of metabolites to suppress the growth, proliferation and survival of food spoilage microorganisms and food-borne pathogens.
Abstract The properties of crystallized fats depend on their solid fat content (SFC) and their fractal structures. The SFC and the structures are dramatically affected during crystallization under shear flow. A mini‐Couette cell was developed to crystallize fat samples under shear. The cell was tested with blends of canola stearin (CS) in canola oil (CO) in a 20‐MHz NMR spectrometer. The blends were placed in the cell, melted at 80 °C, and then crystallized under different shear rates (58–460 s −1 ) at 40 °C inside the spectrometer for 4 h. Time averaged NMR free induction decay (FID) curves were captured at 20 s intervals. SFC values were calculated using parameters determined by a calibration procedure. The SFC values determined by the direct method with and without the shaft of the Couette device were reasonably close. Similar results were observed with and without shear in the Couette device. The FID curves did not show a significant difference either. Therefore this system is accurate for in‐situ time‐resolved determination of SFC under shear flow. Furthermore, a combination of the direct and the indirect methods was successfully used to estimate the temperature increase due to viscous heating. The system developed will help in understanding the effects of shear flow on SFC of nanostructured lipid multicomponent systems. This will permit the optimization of the manufacturing processes.
