Starter and protective cultures

Abstract

The safekeeping and preservation of food have been part of mankind's struggle for survival throughout our cultural history. Improvement of technical skills has been a further driving force in the development of new methods and approaches for the prevention of food deterioration. Originally applied as “empirical” processes and backed up by tradition and experience, preservation methods have gradually been established on a scientific basis only since the last century. This was, amongst other reasons, due to increasing studies on microorganisms, their physiology, and interactions in foods. Following the long history of up to 7,000 years “spontaneous” but deliberate fermentation of foods so as to preserve them, the introduction of single strain starter cultures for sour milk and cheese manufacture in Europe around 1890 marks a turning point in history. This was the result of extensive studies on the physiological properties and the metabolic potential of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) associated with fermented food. The scientific basis thus established and gradually extended during the 20th century finally provided an understanding of underlying mechanisms basic to the preservative effect of most food fermentations. Additional desirable features such as the improvement of taste, flavor, and texture have become an additional basis for the selection of starter cultures in modern manufacturing processes. More recently, and with the food safety issue remaining a matter of growing worldwide concern, “biological” means for food preservation, either as an additional or alternative approach, are receiving increased attention in research and for their potential technical application.