Recently, the focus of scientific investigations has moved from the primary role of food as the source of energy and body-forming substances to the more subtle action of biologically active food components on human health. There has been an explosion of consumer interest in the active role of food in the well-being and life prolongation, as well as in the prevention of initiation, promotion, and development of nontransmissible chronic diseases. As a result, a new term—functional food—was proposed. Among these foods, probiotics may exert positive effects on the composition of gut microbiota and overall health, and the market is increasing annually. An increased demand for nondairy probiotic products comes from vegetarianism, milk cholesterol content, and lactose intolerance. Therefore, the development of these products is a key research priority for food design and a challenge for both industry and science sectors. This article presents an overview of functional food development, emphasizing nondairy foods that contain probiotic bacteria strains.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1541-4337.2010.00110.x

Functional Foods and Nondairy Probiotic Food Development: Trends, Concepts, and Products.

Culturalable and non-culturable microorganisms naturally ferment majority of global fermented foods and beverages. Traditional food fermentation represents an extremely valuable cultural heritage in most regions, and harbors a huge genetic potential of valuable but hitherto undiscovered strains. Holistic approaches for identification and complete profiling of both culturalable and non-culturable microorganisms in global fermented foods are of interest to food microbiologists. The application of culture-independent technique has thrown new light on the diversity of a number of hitherto unknown and non-cultural microorganisms in naturally fermented foods. Functional bacterial groups ("phylotypes") may be reflected by their mRNA expression in a particular substrate and not by mere DNA-level detection. An attempt has been made to review the microbiology of some fermented foods and alcoholic beverages of the world.

/pdf/review-diversity-of-microorganisms-in-global-fermented-foods-104q4scr0n.pdf

Review: Diversity of Microorganisms in Global Fermented Foods and Beverages

Trends in non-dairy probiotic beverages

Non-dairy probiotic products.

Carlos Ricardo Soccol1*, Luciana Porto de Souza Vandenberghe1, Michele Rigon Spier1, Adriane Bianchi Pedroni Medeiros1, Caroline Tiemi Yamaguishi1, Juliano De Dea Lindner1,2, Ashok Pandey3 and Vanete Thomaz-Soccol1,4 Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology Department, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), 81531-990 Curitiba-PR, Brazil State University of Santa Catarina, Food Engineering Department, BR 282, Km 573 Santa Teresinha, 89870-000 Pinhalzinho SC, Brazil Biotechnology Division, National Institut for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, CSIR, Trivandrum, 695 019, India Positivo University, Industrial Biotechnology Department, Av. Pedro Parigot de Souza 5300, 81280-330, Curitiba-PR, Brazil

/pdf/the-potential-of-probiotics-a-review-4yt3ko22oc.pdf

The potential of probiotics: a review.

http://comenius.susqu.edu/biol/312/cerealbasedfermentedfoodsandbeverages.pdf

M.E. Al-Aseeri

Papers

Cereal-based fermented foods and beverages