ABSTRACT
Many fermented foods are produced throughout the world. Fermentation is a process that transforms the starting material into a product that may have enhanced nutritional and/or organoleptic characteristics. With the advent of probiotics, many researchers have analyzed the microora in traditional fermented foods in attempts to nd foods that contain bacteria that may be benecial to health, metabolism, and disease resistance. In a few cases, an opposite approach has been taken. Based on studies testing individual bacteria in animals and humans, new products have been developed that include these bacteria, thereby creating new probiotic foods. (See Chapter 6 on LcS for such an example.)
Early studies on Enterococcus faecium and its effects against diarrhea and, more importantly, on cholesterol metabolism showed that E. faecium might be an ideal candidate to include in a fermented milk probiotic product. Gaio (which contains both E. faecium and Streptococcus thermophilus) was developed and is now distributed in at least two European countries. This chapter reviews studies where E. faecium and Gaio were tested for their effects on serum cholesterol, diarrhea, and mutagens.
