Definition of Food Cultures

Food cultures (FC) are safe[1] live bacteria, yeasts or filamentous fungi (moulds) used in food production which are in themselves a food ingredient. FC preparations are formulations, consisting of concentrates (> 10^8 CFU/g or ml for bacteria and yeasts and > 10^7CFU/g for filamentous fungi) one or more live and active microbial strains of one or more microbial species‎, including unavoidable metabolites and media components carried over from the fermentation and components (e.g., carbohydrates, organic acids, minerals, vitamins) which are necessary for their survival, storage and to facilitate their application in the food.

FC includes, but is not limited to the terms: starter cultures, dairy starter, yoghurt starters, ripening cultures, meat cultures, sausage starter, wine cultures, plant-based starters, malolactic cultures, sourdough starter, probiotics, lactic acid bacteria, etc.[2]

FC preparations are used as food ingredients at one or more stages in the food manufacturing process to develop their desired metabolic activity. They contribute to one or multiple unique properties of food especially in regard to flavour, colour, texture, microbial quality, wholesomeness, health and nutritional benefits and food safety through protection and conservation.

Labelling of food with FC

Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 provides the information which shall be included in the labelling of all foods, allowing consumers to make an informed choice.

As FCs are defined as food ingredients, they should be listed on the ingredient label of the final food when they are used in the manufacture or preparation of a foodstuff, unless exempted by another regulation. FC must be in the list of ingredients under a generally understood category name or in certain cases the specific species and/or strain name. According to Article 19 1(d) of Regulation 1169/2011 cheese, butter, fermented milk and cream are exempted from carrying a list of ingredients if no other ingredient than lactic products, enzymes and FCs essential to manufacture, or the salt needed for the manufacture of cheese has been added.[3]

Multiple functions of Food Cultures (FC)

Protective cultures are and have always been an integral part of food cultures.

Fermentation is one of the oldest food processing technologies and Food Cultures have traditionally been used to ferment raw materials such as milk, meat, fish, flour, grapes and vegetables to produce safe foods with distinctive organoleptic properties at the same time improving the shelf life and reducing food waste.

Food legislation worldwide has not specifically identified food cultures or their use. Therefore, the European Food and Fermentation Cultures Association (EFFCA) suggested in 2010 a definition of “Microbial Food Cultures” which has recently been updated. Read the complete definition by EFFCA.

Food Cultures preparations are traditionally used as food ingredients at one or more stages in the food manufacturing process to develop their desired metabolic activity. They contribute to one or more unique properties of the food stuff especially in regard to flavour, colour, texture, wholesomeness, health and nutritional benefits and food safety through protection and conservation.

These unique properties of the fermented food stuff are the results of the presence of FC in food and of their metabolism.

Through metabolism, food cultures:

• Consume nutrients, setting up a complex system of competition for nutrients and binding sites.
• Produce metabolites like organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, volatile or low molecular weight compounds (such as ketones and aldehydes) or peptides (eg some bacteriocins) some of which exert inhibitory effect towards other micro-organisms.

The application of FC constitutes among other functions an additional measure to improve food hygiene by outcompeting unwanted micro-organisms and is therefore complementary to good manufacturing practices. In conclusion, inhibition along with other properties of FC is a natural consequence of FC metabolism in food which has been used traditionally worldwide.