Characterization of milk and water-based kefir microbiota

Abstract

The production of functional foods is expanding and requiring research results in the areas of food, health, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, etc. Within this context, the inclusion of kefir in the diet has been gaining ground, as it meets the requirements of a functional food. Kefir can be defined as a fermented, acidic milk with a low alcohol content and produced from grains that contain microorganisms that carry out the fermentation process. Kefir can be produced using various means, such as milk or water-based substrates. In both process, the production is very similar. Kefir is composed of microorganisms such as bacteria and yeasts that are often welcomed by the population as a probiotic source and are regularly used in the production of food and/or medicine by the industry. To produce water kefir, sucrose is used, and the process is carried out at temperatures ranging from 20℃ to 25℃, with an incubation time between 12 and 72 hours in this context. The objective of this work was to present a literature review on the characterization of milk and water-based kefir.