ABSTRACT
Writing on cereal fermentations is a challenge considering all the reviews (Tamang etal.1996,Beuchat1997,Gadagaetal.1999,NoutandSarkar1999,Blandinoetal. 2003,Hammesetal.2005,KohajdováandKarovicova2007,HumblotandGuyot 2008,TamangandFleet2009)andbooksalreadypublishedonthistopic(Steinkraus 1996,Haardetal.1999,Noutetal.2005).Mostofthecerealfermentedfoodsinvolve alacticacidfermentationstep,whichcanbeassociatedtoanalcoholicfermentation stepdependingontheprocessused(e.g.,brewing).Itisnowcommonlyknownthat lacticacidfermentationcontributestohumanwelfarethroughthepreservationof foods,thedevelopmentoforganolepticcharacteristicsandnutritionalimprovementof foods,andthehealth-promotingeffectsoflacticacidbacteria(probiotics)(Noutand Motarjemi1997,Charalampopoulosetal.2002,KohajdováandKarovicova2007). Fermentedfoodsalsocontributetoculturalidentitysincetheyareassociatedwith very ancient and traditional food habits and sometimes with religious practices.
