Are There Other Areas of Application for Food Cultures Besides the Classic Use?

In addition to the classic use for fermentation, there are also modern application areas for food cultures. For example, they play an important role in protecting against pathogenic germs such as Listeria. Listeria can be dangerous to the health or even the lives of pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised people. The symptoms can range from fever and flu-like symptoms to sepsis, encephalitis, or meningitis and, in severe cases, can be fatal. Therefore, the benefits of food cultures with a protective function against Listeria cannot be overestimated.

Food cultures can contribute to safe food in a variety of ways. In addition to their ability to lower the pH value, their ability to produce antagonistic metabolites is particularly noteworthy. These so-called bacteriocins have an excellent antagonistic effect against other strains, such as Listeria monocytogenes. This ability is not artificially created but has developed through evolution. Furthermore, food cultures have a competitive inhibitory effect against Listeria, as cultures are very well adapted to their environment and use nutrients and space very efficiently and quickly, so unwanted germs are often at a disadvantage in the competition for resources and are inhibited from multiplying.

The use of food cultures can, therefore, make numerous sensitive foods safer: in addition to classic sausage products, delicatessen salads, pre-packed lettuce, vegan foods, and other dishes that are usually stored at refrigerator temperatures can also be considered. In these cases, the cultures must be finely distributed on the surface by spraying.

The production of food cultures with a protective function depends on experience and expertise, as not every lactic acid bacterium can inhibit Listeria. It is, therefore, important to identify and propagate the appropriate strains with these properties. Since we started building up a strain collection back in the 1980s, we have had the perfect conditions and experience for producing cultures with a protective function.

What direction is research taking, and what does the future hold? 

Current research is moving in the direction of nitrite substitutes, clean-label solutions without additives - such as preservatives - and plant-based nutrition. It, therefore, meets the desire of many consumers to eat more healthily. We are launching a new, patent-pending clean-label product named BITEC® Cotto, which replaces the nitrite-curing salt associated with health concerns. We combine a food culture with yeast extract. This culture reddens cooked sausages and cooked ham very well without nitrite or nitrate sources and achieves similar results to conventional production in terms of taste and colour. Therefore, the product meets the requirements of food law regarding the reduction of nitrite-curing salt and consumer protection.

Fermentation is also a major topic when it comes to vegan products. A suitable food culture can be used to ferment away undesirable off-flavours in pea and bean proteins, for example, or substances that cause discomfort due to flatulence. Food cultures, therefore, hold great potential for future nutrition. We are fortunate to have decades of experience and expertise in this area.

How are BITEC® by NovaTaste starter cultures produced? 

The research and development of our food cultures is based in Holdorf, Germany. This location combines the application technology centre, product development, research, and application of cultures, maturing, and spice mixtures in one place. Since 2014, we have had an in-house, state-of-the-art safety laboratory with protection level 2 at our disposal, where we examine principles for combating pathogenic microorganisms, i.e., disease-causing bacteria. We can also carry out challenge tests there. In that case, we deliberately add Listeria to sensitive foods and examine their growth with and without the added culture to prove the cultures' inhibitory effect on the pathogenic germs in the specific food. Our food cultures have been produced in Stuttgart since 1989. Customers can rely on the best quality "made in Germany."

The culture production process takes place in various stages. Production starts with a frozen preparation. Microorganisms, such as lactic acid bacteria or staphylococci, serve as the basis to produce a starter culture. A multi-stage preculture is produced from these germs. The fermentation system is sterilised with steam, filled with high-quality raw materials that promote the growth of the preculture and inoculated with the preculture. All parameters, such as temperature, pH value and oxygen partial pressure, are monitored automatically.

The cells produced in the fermenter are separated from the liquid medium using a continuously operating centrifuge. The previously harvested cells are mixed with strain-specific antifreeze substances in special hygiene zones and then freeze-dried. In this process, the water is removed from the frozen biomass at low pressure, guaranteeing a long storage period and further processing suitable for industrial use. For this further processing, the freeze-dried mass is ground into a fine powder and stored. A series of microbiological examinations and activity and identity tests are carried out in the laboratory and pilot plant to ensure the full functionality of the food cultures.

The BITEC® brand combines starter cultures for many applications in the meat products sector, which is why the portfolio includes numerous cultures. Upon customer request, one or more microorganism strains with different properties and functions are mixed with a carrier. Once all laboratory tests on the mixture have been completed, the food culture is filled in portions under aseptic conditions. During filling, the culture is sieved to prevent contamination with foreign bodies. After a final check, the finished products are ready for dispatch. The inner films of the bags guarantee maximum light and gas impermeability and, therefore, consistently high quality. Complete documentation of every product that leaves the factory always ensures its full traceability.