rice fermentation by lactobacillus paracasei cba l74

Abstract In recent decades, the increase in economic wellbeing and in nutrition awareness have increased the attention of consumers towards the high-quality food. In particular, consumers pay attention to the effects of food on physiological functions, and to the connections between food components and the prevention of some pathologies. Potential solutions to the consumer interests are the functional foods. A wide spectrum of probiotic foods may be produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. This contribution reports preliminary results regarding the development of a functional semi-finished food by fermentation of Lactobacillus Paracasei CBA L74 using rice flour as substrate. The process was investigated by tests carried out at a laboratory scale. Batch fermentations were carried out in a 1.5 L fermenter equipped with a thermostatic system. The medium was a suspension of rice flour and water. The fermentation process was characterized in terms of pH, microbial population, primary (lactic acid) and secondary acid (butyric and acetic acids) concentration. The maximum bacterial charge of 3*108 CFU/ml achieved during the process and the high production of lactic acid of 222,4 mg/L suggested that the conditions implemented throughout the fermentation process could be appropriate for the production of a rice flour based functional food. Keywords:  Batch Reactor; Fermentation; Functional Foods; Lactobacillus Paracasei; Mixing System