Industrial Biotechnology

Fermentation technology

Fermentation is the process involving the biochemical activity of organisms, during their growth, devel­opment, reproduction, even senescence and death. Fermentation technology is the use of organisms to produce food, pharmaceuticals and alcoholic beverages on a large scale industrial basis.

The basic principle involved in the industrial fermentation technology is that organisms are grown under suitable conditions, by providing raw materials meeting all the necessary requirements such as carbon, nitrogen, salts, trace elements and vitamins.

The end products formed as a result of their metab­olism during their life span are released into the media, which are extracted for use by human being and that have a high commercial value. The major products of fermentation technology produced econom­ically on a large scale industrial basis are wine, beer, cider, vinegar, ethanol, cheese, hormones, antibiotics, complete proteins, enzymes and other useful products.