제목

Starter Cultures for Kimchi Fermentation

요약

Kimchi is a traditional Korean vegetable product that is naturally fermented by various microorganisms present in the raw materials. Among these microorganisms, lactic acid bacteria dominate the fermentation process. Natural fermentation with unsterilized raw materials leads to the growth of various lactic acid bacteria, resulting in variations in taste and quality of kimchi, which may make it difficult to produce industrial-scale kimchi with consistent quality. The use of starter cultures has been considered as an alternative for the industrial production of standardized kimchi, and recent trends suggest that the demand for starter cultures is on the rise. The purpose of applying starter cultures to kimchi includes improving sensory characteristics, extending shelf-life, and achieving functional properties and uniform quality.  To date, Leu. mesenteroides DRC0211 has been used as a starter culture for commercial kimchi production. However, there are many limitations to the use of kimchi starters. For example, commercialized starter cultures are difficult to find, and the unit price of the kimchi product is increased when such starter cultures are used. Also, several factors should be carefully considered for the successful application of starter cultures for kimchi fermentation. This presentation aims to summarize the characteristics of kimchi starter cultures that have been studied to date, discuss the drawbacks of industrial-scale kimchi applications, and describe future research directions to resolve these drawbacks.