For centuries, people around the world have used fermentation to preserve and enhance the flavor of a wide variety of foods. Today, complex interactions of microbiota in the digestive tract are found to influence proper digestion, metabolism, and disease resistance. With greater emphasis on natural products and the role of food in health and wellbeing, food manufacturers are once again turning to fermentation not just for extending shelf life, but to create functional food products that take an active part in maintaining overall health.

Featuring five new chapters and updating all data to reflect the latest research findings, Handbook of Fermented Functional Foods, Second Edition examines the health benefits of fermented foods as well as the processes and production techniques involved in manufacturing fermented food products. Maintaining the highest quality information and the easily accessible format of its predecessor, this edition includes new chapters on olives, tempeh, and the traditional fermented foods of China, Thailand, and India. It looks at the history of fermented foods and reveals the specific benefits of fermented milk, Kefir, yogurt, and cheese. Contributions cover fermented soy products, including Natto and Miso, as well as the fermentation of other vegetables such as Korean Kimchi and Doenjang and German sauerkraut. The book also explains the bioactivity and bioavailability of microorganisms and investigates the more recent practice of producing probiotic cultures to add to fermented foods for increased health benefit.

Presenting new findings and interpretations that point even more clearly to the important role fermented foods play in our diet and overallhealth, this second edition demonstrates the current knowledge of fermented food production and reflects the growing credibility of probiotics in health maintenance.

Functional food is thought to provide some kind of health benefit to humans, unlike most products now marketed by the food industry. Here scientists from the food industry and academia review the health, safety, production, marketing, and other aspects of fermented foods that can be advertised as healthy. Their topics include kefir, cheese, fermented meat, olives, miso, Korean foods kimchi and doenjang, tempeh, and the production of probiotic cultures and their addition in fermented foods. No date is noted for the first edition. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Following the lead of the original, this new edition of the Handbook of Fermented Functional Foods is written by international experts in the forefront of fermented food science and technology. Completely updated to reflect the amazing progress being made in the field of probiotics, this new edition also adds several new chapters on fermented foods from China, Thailand, and India. Each chapter is structured to highlight how the fermentation process results in a composition with positive effects on human metabolism and health. It covers those foods commonly known to the western world, as well as fermented foods with long traditions in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa.