ABSTRACT
Vinegar is a product resulting from the conversion of alcohol to acetic acid by acetic acid bacteria, Acetobacter spp. The name is derived from French (Vin = wine; Aigre-sour or sharp). With the ubiquity of acetic acid bacteria and the consequent ease with which wine is spoilt, vinegar must have been known to man for thousands of years since he apparently learnt to produce alcoholic beverages some 10,000 years ago. The Bible has many references to vinegar both in the Old and New Testaments, the best known of which, probably is: “It is consummated” which according to John (19, 29-30), was uttered by Christ before He bowed his head and died, after he had been offered vinegar while he was crucified on the cross. Vinegar may be regarded as wine spoilt by acetic acid bacteria, but for which other uses have been found.
