Question

Which type of food would have lactic acid bacteria? Discuss their useful application.

Answer 1

Lactic acid bacteria:

Micro-organisms such as Lactobacillus and others commonly called lactic acid bacteria (LAB) act on lactose, converting it into lactic acid. This property has wide applications.



Food containing LAB:

Fermented foods like curd, cheese, dosa, idli etc. contain lactic acid bacteria.



Applications:

● Curd making: Lactobacillus will convert the milk sugar (lactose) into lactic acid that reduces the pH of milk. This causes the coagulation of the milk proteins (casein) to form curd. All these improve the nutritional quality of the curd by increasing vitamin $B_{12}.$

● Lactic acid: The lactic acid produced by lactic acid bacteria has applications in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.