While meat products are a source of many nutrients in human diets, a recent change in consumption has resulted in an increase of individuals eating plant-based meat alternatives instead [1, 2]. These plant-based meats have been advertised as more ethically and environmentally friendly when compared to their traditional animal-based counterpart [2, 3]. What other fermented foods could be promoted by society and why? When discussing plant-based meats vs. traditional meats, many aspects such as flavor, nutritional composition, and appearance, are vastly different [2, 4]. This difference is important to consider in the production of this plant-based alternative, as researchers found that it proved difficult to replicate characteristics of traditional meats in the plant-based alternative. To resolve this issue, scientists have since determined that fermentation could have a significant impact in plant-based meat production [2]. Members of genera such as Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Bifidobacterium have been found to vastly improve anti-nutrient properties, allergenic traits as well as additional benefits [5, 6, 7]. Hopefully, this promising discovery will improve and progress this area of food science, as well as add to the list of promising benefits that microorganisms can provide in the realm of food production. Considering the benefits of fermentation in producing plant-based meats, what other foods that do not traditionally involve fermentation do you think could benefit from including it in their production process and why? On a similar note, how does fermentation benefit products that already include fermentation in their production process?
