FERMENTATION 2021
Sunday, November 7, 2021
Definition & History of Fermentation
Definition of fermented foods. What counts as a fermented food? History of fermented foods, different fermented food categories, overview of health benefits.
LAB in Food Fermentations
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.
Qimin Yaoshu: Lessons for Today from 5th Century China
Qimin Yaoshu ("Essential Arts for the People's Welfare"), an agricultural treatise first published in 540 CE, details in 92 chapters how a 5th/6th century estate in North China would have been managed. Beyond its value as a working history for agricultural practices, the Qimin Yaoshu contains numerous recipes for cooking, fermentation and other preservation practices including the first complete recipes for making Qu, or what has become more widely known today as Koji. Join Mara King in a deep dive into the Qimin Yaoshu. What does it mean for a food system to have an agricultural guide? Delving in to the recipes in the Qimin Yaoshu, what do these guides for creating fermented foods from 5th Century China teach us about building robust and low waste systems today?
Retail Sales Trends for Fermented Products
A look at recent years' retail sales of an array of fermented products - yogurt, kombucha, pickles and other fermented vegetables, condiments, sauces, etc. - to see trends and where these products are selling. Data comes from retail tracking by SPINS.
Yeast-Fermented Foods
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.
Mold-Fermented Foods
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.
Mycotopia
From ecology to fermentation, in pop culture and in medicine - mushrooms are everywhere. Author Doug Bierend has written In Search of Mycotopia to uncover the vanguard of mycologists; growers, independent researchers, ecologists, entrepreneurs, and amateur enthusiasts exploring and advocating for fungi’s capacity to improve and heal. From decontaminating landscapes and waterways to achieving food security, he examines how humans can work with fungi to better live with nature—and with one another.
Fermentation Journeys: Past, Present, and Future
For the past two decades, fermentation expert and bestselling author Sandor Katz has traveled the world, teaching and learning about the many fascinating and delicious techniques for fermenting foods. Wherever he’s gone, he has gleaned valuable insights into the cultures and traditions of local and indigenous peoples, whether they make familiar ferments like sauerkraut or less common preparations like natto and koji. Coinciding with the publication of his latest book, Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys, he revisits these special places, people, and foods.
Poster Presentations of University Student Research
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"
Monday, November 8, 2021
The Regulatory Landscape
Adam Inman
Kansas Department of Agriculture Food Safety & Lodging Program, Assistant Program Manager
Jonathan Wheeler
South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control, Coordinator for Special Processes at RetailFermenters new and old wrestle with how best to comply with the myriad health and safety regulations that affect their products. Hear from experts in the field as they suggest they best ways to make this compliance process as easy as possible, and also to suggest how the regulatory landscape could be improved in the future.
Koji & Miso
Koji Alchemy authors Jeremy Umansky and Rich Shih—collectively considered to be the most practical, experienced, generous educators on the culinary power of this unique ingredient—deliver a comprehensive look at modern koji use around the world. Using it to rapidly age charcuterie, cheese, and other ferments, they take the magic of koji to the next level, revolutionizing the creation of fermented foods and flavor profiles for both professional and home cooks.
Monitoring Food Microbiomes
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?
The "Alt-Universe"
Hear from Johnny Drain - who works at the cutting edge of food, fermentation, design and sustainability, helping to rethink how we will feed the world of the future in a more delicious, regenerative, equitable and ecologically-friendly way - as he discusses the exciting new fermented and cultured foods that populate the "alt-universe."
Crowdsourcing: How to Validate & Fund Your Fermentation Project
Karen, a classically trained chef, certified nutritionist, food writer, expert fermenter, has launched three crowdsourced campaigns on Kickstarter. All were successfully funded and fulfilled. And, most importantly, they were all fermentation-related projects!
What you will learn:
How to prepare for a crowdsourcing campaign
Which platform to use
Best practices for designing your launch page
Do’s and don’ts during the campaign
What to do after the campaign is funded
How to leverage your campaign once you are in business
Ferments of Asia: A Global Flavor Experience
After decades of research, Robert believes that fermentation should be credited with saving the human race from starvation as well as creating some of the most craveable foods and beverages across the continents. Join author and R&D Chef Robert Danhi on a multimedia adventure across Asia to discover the origins of all fermented bean pastes, their migration across Asia and how they have become building blocks of flavor for home cooks, chefs, product developers, and food scientist globally.
Managing Microbiomes to Prevent Defects and Spoilage
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?
Managing Microbiomes for Safety
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?
Mapping Out a Growth Plan that Builds Company Value
In this session we will cover: clarifying goals, considering resources and mapping out a realistic plan that will achieve objectives and build value in your business. We’ll discuss planks in the growth platform and tie in those drivers of value creation prized by investors as well as financial and strategic buyers. The framework offered here will be valuable to both early stage companies as well as those seeking to take their business to the next level.
Managing Microbiomes for Flavor and Texture
Highlight techniques being used to identify the microbial diversity in a range of fermented foods. What approaches are being used to influence the flavors and textures of fermented foods?
Educating Consumers about Fermentation
Lack of consumer understanding of fermentation and its flavor and health attributes is consistently cited by producers the top obstacle to increasing sales and acceptance of fermented product. On this panel we bring together producers, scientists, retailers, and journalists to discuss ways to better educate the (potential) customer.
Investment in Alternative Proteins
This session provides insights from The Good Food Institute's Zak Weston into the dynamic alternative proteins industry and the flood of investment dollars it is attracting.
Kombucha Today
Hannah Crum, from her perspective both as President of Kombucha Brewers International (KBI) and as a kombucha educator, discusses the state of the industry. She will touch on the biggest challenges and opportunities facing producers, along with the current major initiatives at KBI.
Expanding Distribution - the Pluses & Minuses
Do you want to expand your business and increase your distribution? Erica Gibson and Rodd Willis will walk through all the considerations and steps involved, highlighting not only the upside of doing so, but the risks and costs.
Vinegars
Fermentation expert and educator Kirsten Shockey will take a deep dive into the long history of vinegar and its many varied uses, sharing insights into vinegar-making traditions around the world.
Is Fermentation "So White"...or Not?
This year, two articles helped propel a conversation on diversity among fermenters: Miin Chan's Eater article "Lost in the Brine" (which explores cultural appropriation in fermentation) and Jiayang Fan's New Yorker piece "The Gatekeepers Who Get to Decide What Food is 'Disgusting'" (which highlights how Westerners' views of "disgusting" food require immigrants to assimilate to local food culture). Listen to these two writers and a trio of BIPOC producers as they debate the topics of diversity and cultural appropriation among fermenters, and discuss who gets to determine what "tastes good."
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Are Fermented Foods Probiotic?
Mary Ellen Sanders
International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, Executive Science OfficerWhat is a probiotic? What do we currently know about how probiotics can benefit human health? What are similarities and differences between probiotics and the microbes in fermented foods?
Evidence of Fermented Health Benefits
Fermented foods are a top health food trend in 2020, but what do we actually know about their benefits based on human studies?
Upcycling & Zero Waste
Cortney Burns brings together a group of practitioners to discuss their commitment to zero waste, and the various means - including upcycling - they use to achieve that goal.
** CANCELLED ** Yogurt - "Live & Active"
This talk will emphasize the “live and active” seal used by yogurt manufacturers. How yogurt came to be known as a health food.
What's Next in Craft Alcoholic Beverages?
Author/educator Alex Lewin brings together views from the worlds of craft beer, wine, mead, spirits, cider, and hard kombucha on where the craft alcohol industry is headed.
Working with Farmers
Cortney Burns collects expertise from a panel that has developed creative and effective means of interacting with farmers. They will discuss these activities along with their link to regenerative agriculture, reduced waste, and improved farm performance.
Fermented Food & Human Gut Microbiome
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's Next for Fermentation?
As things currently stand in the food manufacturing world, producing an innovative fermented food or beverage at commercial scale requires staggering (and often prohibitive) amounts of money and time. In this session, we'll dive into the challenges facing new food fermenters and discuss possible solutions for how to ease the path to scale.
What Is or Isn't a Health Claim?
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.
The Art of Marketing Science
Mary Ellen Sanders
International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, Executive Science OfficerA dialogue around the tension between how producers would like to describe and market their goods versus what claims meet scientific thresholds and parameters for, among other things, consistency and documentation.
ChouAmi Presents: From small-batch testing to large-scale production!
Discover why ChouAmi can become an integral part of your recipe development, and learn how it was used to enable the process of taking a small-batch recipe to full scale commercial production.
LEE KUM KEE PRESENTS: Umami's Role in Flavorful Foods
Umami plays a key role in many fermented foods. By now, most of us know it’s your 5th taste. This presentation has a unique blend of scientific, culinary and cultural information that will help take your understanding of umami to the next level. It includes a tutorial on Umami function that explains what it is, why we have it, how it is different from the other four taste senses and how it can be used to make foods taste better. Traditional Asian bean and chili pepper products are used as examples to show how umami and complex flavors are created through fermentation and salt curing processes.
