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Fermented foods are foods that have undergone fermentation at some stage in their processing. Fermentation has been used for thousands of years as a safe way to store perishable food and has been part of traditional diets in many countries. There is evidence that some fermented products (such as beer, vinegar, fish and soy sauce) date back to 3000 or 4000BC.
Fermented products are obtained from grains, grapes and other fruits, meat, soybeans, fish and vegetables. Fermentation is carried out by various microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts and moulds.
Fermentation is the microbiological breakdown of carbohydrates to produce energy and an organic acid (i.e. lactic acid) or alcohol and carbon dioxide. The fermentation process changes the physical and chemical properties of the original food and has been shown to improve the digestibility of carbohydrates and proteins, as well as increasing the levels of some vitamins and the availability of certain minerals. More recently, some fermented dairy foods have been shown to have beneficial probiotic effects.
Some examples of fermented foods:
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| Category | Product | Examples |
| Milk products | Cheese | Camembert, Gouda, Blue Stilton, Cheddar |
| Cultured liquids | Yakult, Butter Milk, Sour Cream, Yoghurt | |
| Cereal and plant products | Vegetables | Sauerkraut, Miso, Soy Sauce, Pickles |
| Bread | Sour Dough, Breads, Rolls | |
| Beverages | Alcoholic | Wine, Beer, Sake, Liqueurs |
| Non-alcoholic | Soda, Vinegar, Yakult, Apple Cider, Drinking Yoghurts |
