How do bacteria play an important role in food industry?
Use in preparing curd and bread:-
Curd contains several micro-organisms like the bacterium Lactobacillus , which promotes the formation of curd. It multiplies in milk and converts it to curd.
Bacteria are also used in the preparation of cheese, pickles, and many other food items.
Use in preparing alcohol and wine
Micro-organisms are used commercially to prepare alcohol, wine, and vinegar. Yeast is the most common micro-organism, which is used to prepare alcohol and wine. Let us find out how yeast takes part in the production of alcohol.
During the preparation of alcohol, yeast is grown on natural sugars present in grains like rice, wheat, barley, or crushed fruit juices. Yeast breakdowns the sugar present in these grains into alcohol, leading to the large-scale production of alcohol. This process of conversion of sugar into alcohol is known as fermentation.