ABSTRACT
Indigenous fermented foods are typically unique and their quality characteristics vary according to the regions they are produced. ese are important components of the diets in South Asian countries (Lazos et al., 1993) and provide diversity of avors, aromas, and textures which help to enrich the diet (Ijabadeniyi, 2007; Joshi, 2006a; Joshi and Singh, 2012; Steinkraus, 1997), as discussed earlier also. ese foods are produced by local people who have acquired these skills and continue to produce these products at a small scale and household levels and have remained un-commercialized for several reasons (Arogba et al., 1995), including very short shelf-life, objectionable packaging materials, stickiness, and, sometimes, characteristic putrid or oensive odors. Besides, many small-scale processors of locally fermented foods
5.4.5.1 Fermented Fish 280 5.4.6 Fermented Meat Products 281 5.4.7 Alcoholic Fermented Beverages 283
5.4.7.1 Sur 283 5.4.8 Alcoholic Fermented Beverages and Starters 283
5.5 Spoilage, Shelf-Life, and Safety of Indigenous Fermented Products 287 5.5.1 Causes of Spoilage and Shelf-Life 287
5.5.1.1 Causes of Spoilage 287 5.5.1.2 Deterioration of Processed Foods 287 5.5.1.3 Factors Aecting Spoilage 289
5.5.2 Shelf-Life of Indigenous Fermented Products 289 5.5.3 Naturally Occurring Toxins of Plant Origin 289
5.5.3.1 Cyanogenic Compounds in Cassava 289 5.5.3.2 Other Antinutritional Factors 290 5.5.3.3 Ethyl Carbamate 290 5.5.3.4 3-MCPD (3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol) 291
5.5.4 Toxins of Biological Origin 292 5.5.4.1 Biogenic Amines 292 5.5.4.2 N-Nitrosamines 293 5.5.4.3 Mycotoxins and Other Toxins 293
5.5.5 Food Safety Issues and Concerns 294 5.6 Improving the Safety of Indigenous Fermented Foods 296
5.6.1 Using Quality Raw Materials 296 5.6.2 Using Starter Cultures 296 5.6.3 Maintaining Proper Hygiene Standards and Packaging 296 5.6.4 Application of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) 297 5.6.5 Implementation of a Behavior-Based Food Safety Management 297
5.7 Summary and Future Prospects 297 References 299
are also reluctant to accept change and modication of the fermentation process (Valyasevi and Rolle, 2002).
