An introduction to several major groups of microorganisms necessary for food fermentations and to provide insight on current research examining the diversity and functionality of these microbes in foods. This talk will cover the basics of lactic fermentations. Foods discussed: fermented vegetables, sourdough, dairy.

An introduction to several major groups of microorganisms necessary for food fermentations and to provide insight on current research examining the diversity and functionality of these microbes in foods. This talk will cover the basics of yeast fermentations. Foods discussed include beer, cider, and wine.

An introduction to several major groups of microorganisms necessary for food fermentations and to provide insight on current research examining the diversity and functionality of these microbes in foods. This talk will cover the basics of mold fermentations and the production of fermented proteins.

6:00pm - Chloe Christensen (U of Nebraska) "Do Lactic Acid Bacteria in Fermented Foods Persist in the Gastrointestinal Tract: an in vitro Investigation" 

6:10pm - Evelyn Lemus Silva (Stanford) "Culturing and Sequencing Fermented Foods to Understand Their Microbial and Metabolite Content"

6:20pm - Wannes Van Beeck (UC Davis) "EATLAC: Community science and fermentation of fruits and vegetables at home"

6:30pm - Kylene Guse (U of Minnesota) "Effects of Regular Consumption of Lacto-Fermented Vegetables in the Gut Microbiome"

6:40pm - Kyriaki (Ria) Feidaki (U of Nebraska) "Isolation and Identification of "Wild" Lactic Acid Strains from Traditional Greek Fermented Foods"

Highlight techniques being used to identify the microbial diversity in a range of fermented foods. What are effective ways to detect specific microbes and microbial communities in fermented foods? How can these approaches be deployed in production facilities? How can this microbial information be used by producers and consumers of fermented foods?

Highlight techniques being used to identify the microbial diversity in a range of fermented foods. How do microbes cause spoilage defects in fermented food microbiomes? What are effective strategies to manage fermented food microbiomes to prevent spoilage? How can producers use experiments in their facilities to identify causes of microbial defects in fermented foods?

Highlight techniques being used to identify the microbial diversity in a range of fermented foods. What are the risks of low acid fermented foods? What approaches can be taken to prevent foodborne pathogen contamination?

Fermented foods are a top health food trend in 2020, but what do we actually know about their benefits based on human studies?

This talk will emphasize the “live and active” seal used by yogurt manufacturers. How yogurt came to be known as a health food.

The human gut microbiome is pivotal in human health and disease. This talk will cover how fermented foods may benefit our health by modulating our gut microbiome.

What exactly constitutes a health claim? This contentious topic can be a source of problems and expense for the unwitting or incautious producer. It pays to "never assume," and Penn State's Dr. Josephine Wee explores the essential details.