how fermentation helps in the world food supply and security

8/9/2019 how fermentation helps in the world food supply and security

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/how-fermentation-helps-in-the-world-food-supply-and-security 1/18

1

How Fermentation Helps in the World Food Supply and Security

Queenie Gene Gadong

University of the Philippines Visayas

Miagao, Iloilo



2


I. Introduction

A much needed element for civilizations to emerge is a stable source of food supply (Perry,

1989). In all the nations of the world, acquisition or production of enough food supply is an

important concern. Food shortage for a country will produce serious problems, such as residents¶

malnutrition and susceptibility to fatal diseases. In a research recently done, (Anderson, 2008),

countries experiencing severe problems in food supplies include China, Latin America, India,

and Africa.

At present the threat to the world food supply is greatly affected by the increasing rate of

population growth in developing countries. As can be seen in the preceding paragraph, the

countries experiencing food security problems are those which have a large growing population.

There is a visible gap in the production of adequate food supply, and the increasing demand of

the g rowing population. Not only is the obvious slow rate of food production a problem for the

worldwide food supply, but also the apparent lack of food security. Food security regulates

people¶s nutrition to ensure they live active and healthy lives. Food security is concerned

primarily in the accessibility of a healthy and balanced food supply (Anderson. 2008).

As an answer to the eminent threat to food supply, nations focused on increased production

of agricultural products. Even though focus and efforts for increasing agricultural productivity

succeeds, ³these may simply go to waste if agricultural yield will not be harnessed to the fullest

extent´ (Gatchalian & De Leon, 1993, p. 3).. Maximum utilization of agricultural products can

be accomplished through proper post harvest handling, such as effective transportation, and some

preservations methods. Preservation techniques are employed to delay spoilage of raw materials

so as to keep them for long periods of time and be made used of when need arise.



3


A popular preservation technique employed in simple households or in industries is the

Fermentation process. Fermentation has been an integral part of the diet of different societies in

the world. There is no definite explanation on how people developed fermentation without

proper knowledge on how the mechanism worked. However, despite this obvious deficiency

fermentation has been practiced for centuries, worldwide (Sanchez, 2008). Various foodstuffs

people consume are products of fermentation, and variations range from dairy products, meat,

fish, fruits, and vegetables. In the Philippines some of known fermentation products include

Tuba, Basi, Dried Fish, Cheeses, and some native delicacies like Puto (rice cake).

In Food Technology, and to the world, fermentation may be the saving grace for the

worsening problem in food supply and security. Many recognize the importance of fermentation

because of its efficacy and accessibility, as the easiest way to provide the world with healthy

indigenous food as answer to world hunger. During the past decade, developments on traditional

fermented products were studied, but to help in the food supply such studies should be translated

to practical application.

In this paper the reality and possibilities that fermentation gives in providing the means to

counteract world hunger will be tackled. As an aid for the practical application of recent studies

in fermentation, concepts and ideas regarding fermentation will be discussed. Appreciation on

the importance of fermentation will also be attempted, with some simple practical advises that

can be rendered for household use.



4


II. Statement of the Problem

Food security or the lack thereof greatly affects poor countries and is also a concern in

developed countries like the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. Although these

developed countries produce a stable food supply, mainly through successful technological

improvements sorely lacking in poor countries, the produce are not evenly distributed.. Thereby

this problem alarmed the whole world since recent years, and possibly in the years to come.

Further study of fermentation may yield practical applications as solutions to the

problem. Notable food technologists look up at fermentation as the easiest and most realistic

answer to the food security question. The question this research study hopes to answer is, ³Can

fermentation really help ease the world of its fears on food supply, and food security´?



5


III. O bjectives:

1. The study hopes to describe the concept of food supply and security, and to educate

the readers on the problems concerning such concepts.

2. The study aims to define fermentation, its mechanism and the concept behind it. This

will also identify the goods that fermentation produces.

3. The study aspires to comprehend the possible role of fermentation in addressing the

food security problems.

4.

This paper endeavors to translate difficult theories and ideas on fermentation so as to

be rendered useful for household application to ease the food security, and food

supply problems.



6


IV. Methodology

In order for the paper to be completed extensive research will be employed. By the use of

relevant and recent publications on fermentation, through books, journals and magazines, the

author hopes to gain in depth understanding of the fermentation process. Authorities¶ in the

subject will be interviewed, so as to gain their personal opinions and ideas pertinent to the

matter. Also other possible resources such as the internet will be tapped to exhaust relevant

information.

Interview Questions:

1. What is fermentation?

2. Why fermentation is considered to be of big help for combating world hunger and

augment the food supply?

3. Are there moves by the Sotech community to secure, or will there be help given by the

school to the local community seeing as an El Niño is to be expected?

4. What can we do in our households to prepare for El Niño? Practical applications of

fermentation?

5. What are mainstream companies like Red Ribbon, doing to help in the world food

security?



7


V. Review of Related Literature:

Since ancient times our ancestors were concerned with obtaining and storing foods for

long periods of time. This early need may have raised the different food processing and food

preservation techniques. These techniques would include solar drying and freezing in cold caves

and fermentation. Food processing techniques were by then just methods to keep food from

spoiling. One of this ancient techniques used is fermentation, through it our ancestors were able

to create alcoholic drinks, and different native delicacies. Even without prior understanding on

the underlying mechanisms and reasons for the fermentation process our ancestors were still able

to successfully harness this unique technique (Sanchez, 2008).

The science of food fermentation began after the work of Loius Pasteur on microbiology,

where he demonstrated that microorganisms are the common cause of a foods deterioration or

spoilage. He then proceeded in theorizing that in fermentation, different microorganisms

enzyme-catalyzed action are responsible for the changes of the food substrate (Fung, 1992).

Fermentation is a food processing method that makes use of enzyme-catalyze actions of

microorganisms in a food substrate. Fermented foods can help in augmenting the food supply

and can be the answer to the food security, worldwide. To be able to properly utilize and

maximize produce fermentation should be used. It helps as food preservation method, makes use

of indigenous raw materials accessible to poor people, and also helps by enriching the nutritional

value of foods. (Sanchez, 2008)

Modern food processing was developed to serve the needs of the military forces, when

they go to battles and war. In 1809, Nicolas Appert won the contest where in Napoleon



8


Bonaparte offered 12,000 francs for who can create a food preservation technique to help his

army while on campaign. Appert, with his development of the canning technique, which initially

uses a glass jar sealed with wax and wire, won the 12,000 francs. As of present time many

different food processing techniques has been developed and integrated to large produce

companies (Fung, D., 1992).

Food processing is the method of careful preparation of different raw food material such

as meat, poultry, marine, fruits and vegetable products. This encompasses all of the steps a raw

material undergoes, from harvest for fruits and vegetables and slaughter of meat and poultry, to

transport, to even to peeling, and washing, to cooking and storage. Food processing is beneficial

since it eases the distribution of food products by deactivating spoilage enzymes that promote

food deterioration while in transport. Food processing also removes toxin and pathogenic

microorganisms making available safe and nutritious foods (Encarta, 2008).

Before the 18th century population growth had been stationary, the world's population

grew very slowly, checked by the high mortality rate due to unsanitary and unhealthy leaving

conditions back then. Not until the era of enlightenment, where philosophy and science increased

in prominence, did developments in food availability, housing, water cleanliness, personal

hygiene, and public sanitation decreased the western mortality rate

Population growth is the change in volume of the population in a certain area. Ideally,

there should be a balance in the births and deaths, if the number of deaths is steadily rising the

world population may decline. At present, population of the world as whole is steadily

increasing, which is attributed to a number of world and social problems (Gee, 1996). ³As the

world population continues to grow geometrically, great pressure is being placed on arable land,



9


water, energy, and biological resources to provide an adequate supply of food while maintaining

the integrity of our ecosystem.´ Such strain to the environment created a larger area of

malnutrition, showing the imbalance in food distributions, and poverty (Pimentel, D., Huang,

Cordova, Pimentel M., 1996).

This exponential growth of the global world population is commonly viewed as the

biggest factor for the problems in food supply and food security. Food supply is the general

availability of food to the people, such that in every household have enough for daily

consumption (Florencio, 2007). Meanwhile food security is the consumption of adequate

nutritional diet. Food security not only depends in the availability of food (food supply), but is

also concerned with the access of safe and nutritious food, enough to meet the daily nutritional

recommended intake.

³In the 1996 World Food Summit in Rome, representatives of 185 nations, including the

Philippines, and the European Community, adopted the Rome Declaration of Food Security, and

pledged to implement the World Food Summit Plan of Action.´ This plan aims to distribute

food, which meet nutritional daily requirements, to all people at all times. According to the Food

and Nutritional Research Institute that as of 2003, typical Filipino households were not able to

meet their recommended daily food intake. (Florencio, 2007)



10


VI. Definition of Terms:

Conceptual:

i Food ± are eaten to satisfy appetite, provide physiologic and metabolic needs for daily

body processes, growth and nutrition.

i Food Supply - quantity of food, including food stored from previous years, available for

people to consume at any given time.

i Food Security ± the availability of safe, nutritious, and preferred food for all people to

provide for active and healthy lifestyle.

i Fermentation - chemical changes in organic substances produced by the action of

enzymes of microorganisms.

i Food Processing and Preservation ± is the manufacturing of food raw materials to ensure

safety, prolong shelf-life, enrich, and deem appropriate for human consumption.

O perational:

i Food- products deemed available for consumption for growth and daily actions of the

body.

i Food Supply ± quantity of food produced and available for distribution.

i Food Security - the availability of safe, nutritious, and preferred food for all people to

provide for active and healthy lifestyle.

i Fermentation ±food conversion of raw material to a more desired product, with

production of acid and with prolonged shelf-life.

i Food Processing - the method of preparing and enhancing positive food attributes,



11


VII. Discussion

(a) What created the food crisis

Malnutrition of a large number of people in many parts of the world can be attributed to

the nutrient deficiencies resulting from lack of food supply.

The increasing gap between the amount of food the world produces and the emergent

needs and demands of an exponentially growing world population poses a huge threat in the

near future. As of now the world population is estimated to be 6.6 billion and by 2025 it is

expected to balloon to 8 billion (Anderson,200

8) by which time, food production may not

match the population needs. As the most obvious cause of food shortage, the control of

population growth can greatly help in achieving food security. It should be emphasized

however that low population growths not an assurance that food security can be achieved,

since there are many other factors concerning the global food crisis.

According to Brown (2000

), the growth of population will strain the capacity of

the world in providing for the draining demands on water, food and natural resources. Water

repositories under the earth will be exhausted, so is the supply and production of available

food. Pollution caused by varying human activities will not help things either, habitats of

species humans consume for food will be affected and therefore possible extinction of animal

species most susceptible to these disturbances will be likely possible.

In many developing countries poverty also plays a great importance in the availability of

a stable and healthy food supply. In some cases adequate supply of food can be produced by

a region yet problem in food supply is still experienced. The unequal distribution of natural



12


resources can be the promoting factor for this. In Haiti, extreme poverty largely caused by

neglect in developments of social services, hinder the people access to nourishing food.

Despite Haiti¶s and China¶s low growth rate many of the people there experience severe

malnutrition, in China 11 percent of the people are undernourished.

Another factor that affects the production rate of food supply is the loss of arable lands,

due largely to the expansion of cities. Agricultural fields are converted to residential areas to

compensate for the need of the city population. Also this expansion forces or in most cases

encourages farmers to migrate to cities and find other more rewarding work.

(b) Fermentation process and products

³Chemical changes in organic substances produced by the action of enzymes´ (Encarta,

2008), is the generalized term for fermentation. It is a term with different connotations for

different fields in science. In microbiology the term applies to the use of microorganisms

enzymes in carrying out transformations of an organic matter. In biochemistry fermentation is

the means of an individual cell to generate energy where organic compounds acts as both

electron donor and acceptor (Sanchez, 2008).

In layman terms fermentation is the increase in acidity of the food raw material due to

acid formation. This is correct; the acidity is due to the oxidation of the sugar of the food

converted to alcohols, and vinegar. The fermentation process is considered as a preservation

technique, through the production of substantial amounts of acid, by certain desired

microorganisms. The acids in turn inhibit the growth of the microorganisms (Lagua, 1977).

Fermentation is a food processing method that employs the help of good

microorganisms inherent in the raw materials substrate. These microorganisms are yeast,



13


several species of bacteria, and molds. During metabolism of these microorganisms the organic

material, which is mostly sugar, is initially reduced to alcohol, and with the proper conditions is

then converted to vinegar. (Sanchez, 2008)

There are different types of fermentation, these classifications are based on oxygen

requirement, aerobic or anaerobic fermentation, and initial substrate and product finished. In

alcoholic fermentation, the substrate (fruit juice) is acted upon by yeast, through anaerobic

oxidation to ethyl alcohol. Following alcoholic fermentation is the acetous fermentation, which

uses the alcohol formed into acetic acid through aerobic oxidation. Usually in the formation of

alcohol, yeast is the microorganism acting, while in formation of vinegar, bacteria are

employed.

© How fermentation helps in the food supply and security

Fermentation is mostly considered desirable, and the products, compared to the raw

materials, greatly improved. Fermentation of certain food products are desired since it transforms

an ordinary food product to another. As stated by Steinkraus (cited in Sanchez, 2008),

fermentation process have five roles, to enrich the human diet by improving product quality by

enhancing flavor, aroma, texture, shelf-life and digestibility. Aside from this, fermentation may

be able to supplement poor people¶s diet through ³enrichment of food substrates with protein,

essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, and vitamins´ (Sanchez, 2008, p. 2).



14


Sample Products of Fermentation

(a) Dairy

The most obvious product of fermentation in dairies are the yoghurt and cheese.

There are different methods of traditional kesong puti making here in the Philippines. In

the Traditional Laguna method, fresh milk from carabao was initially strained in a

cheesecloth, and is added with the lining of the carabao¶s stomach, the mixture is then

stirred and left. The complete coagulated cheese will produce a yellowish whey.

Fermentation is enhanced by the addition of the stomach lining to the cheese. Present

microorganisms in the lining ferment the sugar rich milk to produce a coagulated cheese.

(b) Meat/Fish

Our favorite breakfast meal of chorizo and longanisa are also fermented. In

chorizo the ground meat are mixed with spices and are then stuffed inside a cleaned pig

intestine. This can be immediately consumed, or smoked to delay spoilage.

(c) Fruits and Vegetables

Fermentation in fruits and vegetables is usually initiated by yeast already present

in the raw material. In wine making juice is added with yeast, or just left alone in

anaerobic condition to ferment to alcohol. In aerobic condition the alcohol oxidizes to

vinegar due to the action of a bacterial species.



15


Bibliography

1. Anderson, M.. World Food Supply (n.d.) Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2008. © 1993-2007

Microsoft Corporation.

2. Chinte-Sanchez, P. (2008). Philippine Fermented Foods: Principles and Technology.

Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.

3. Florencio, C. (2007, May-June). From Food Sufficiency to Food Security and Right to

Food. University of the Philippines Forum. Retrieved from http://www.The UP Forum -

University Of The Philippines System.com

4. Fung, D. (1992) Food Fermentation. In The encyclopedia of food science and technology. (Vol.

2, pp. 1034-1041). Canada.

5. Gatchalian, M., & De Leon, S. (1992). Introduction to Food Technology. Metro Manila,

Philippines.

6. Gee, E. (2001) Population Growth. In The encyclopedia of death and dying. Retrieved

from http://www.population-growth.com

7. Lagua, R., Cruel, C., & Claudio, V., (1977). Food Preservation for Filipinos. Philippines.

8. Taylor-Davis, S., & Stone, M. Food Processing and Preservation (n.d) Microsoft ®

Encarta ® 2008. © 1993-2007 Microsoft Corporation.

9. Pimentel, D., Huang, X., Cordova, A., & Pimentel M. (1996). Impact of population

growth on food supplies and environment. Retrieved from

http://dieoff.org/page57.com

10. Brown, L. (2000, March). The Population challenge. Microsoft Corporation.



16


Appendix:

Interviewee: Prof. Emeliza Lozada, School of Technology

1. What is fermentation?

i Fermentation is a process of preservation through the manufacture of acid as a metabolic

product of microorganisms in a substrate.

2. Why fermentation is considered to be of big help for combating world hunger and

augment the food supply?

i You should remember that fermentation extends the shelf-life of food. It also creates new

products, from a large variety of raw materials. It is also a simple technology that makes

use of lesser amount of fuel and cooking requirement. Lastly there has never been an

issue on safety of fermentation products, as such it is generally accepted.

3. Are there moves by the Sotech community to secure, or will there be help given by the

school to the local community seeing as an El Niño is to be expected?

i Since the 1990¶s Sotech provided technical assistance for adaptation of food technology

methods as means of livelihood, like in the production of nata de coco in Guimaras and

Leganes. It also educated the locals to the proper food practices, and. Preparation. Some

studies were made as to the use of coconut shell as alternative packaging material. Sotech

also invested in dehydration, but as of present there had been no moves for use of

fermentation.

4. What can we do in our households to prepare for El Niño? Practical Applications?

i The most common application of fermentation is vinegar making. For the El Niño and

probable food shortage, pickling of vegetables, jams of fruits and chorizo for meats can be

done.



17


Interviewee 2:

Ms. Melissa Anne T. Gabriel

1. What have national companies or some large food manufacturers done to help the people

that have hard access to safe and nutritious food?

i Researches done in such companies are mostly for the improvements of formulation of

new products of the company. If there are activities for the common people mostly

through charity works and some feeding program.



18


Two Level Topic Outline:

Title: How Fermentation Helps in the World Food Supply and Security

I. Introduction: Concept of Food Supply and Food Security

a. What created the food crisis

II. Fermentation definition

(a) Fermentation process and products

III.

Connection of effective Fermentation to food supply and security

(a) How fermentation helps in the food security and supply

IV. Sample Products of Fermentation

(d) Dairy

(e) Meat/Fish

(f) Fruits and Vegetables

how fermentation helps in the world food supply and security

Documents

Transcript of how fermentation helps in the world food supply and security