WELCOME SWEDISH SOUTH ASIAN NETWORK FOR FERMENTED FOODS!
Fermentation is a unique process with great potential. It easily satisfies in a positive way a large number of criteria which can be applied to a feasible method of food processing. It is an environment friendly process, consume less energy, produce less waste and easy to manage under house hold conditions as well as in industrial scale. It is a typical example of bio-diversity put into efficient use, could be applied to a wide verity of raw materials to produce a variety of different finished food products. It has the advantage of being generally regarded as safe (GRAS) and at the same time offer immense opportunity for production of products which can be classified as “organic foods”, “natural foods”, “health foods”, “convenience foods”,” ethnic foods” “neutraceuticals” “functional foods” and not to forget “food for clinical nutrition”. Fermented foods are manufactured and consumed in practically every parts of the world. Cereals, pulses, root crops, vegetables, fruits, meat and fish are preserved by one or other method of fermentation in some part of the world. The knowledge of making traditional fermented foods has been recognised to be of immense value to the future generations by FAO, WHO and a number of other related agencies. It may also be mentioned that Dr. Metchnikoff who was awarded one of the earliest Nobel prizes was also famous for his observations on the effect of fermented foods on the health status and well-being of human beings. That was some time in the year 1908. Now in 2003 after all these years, the positive effects of fermented foods with prebiotic substances and, probiotic organisms in synbiotic foods is a matter of great attention among the researchers, medical practitioners, food companies, and marketing agencies, because the demand for such products is enormous and growing fast day by day”.
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