Applications In Food Industries Research Articles

Intelligent pest trap monitoring under uncertainty in food industry

Pests bring significant losses in both quantity and quality of products in postharvest food facilities and their uncertain activities make imprecise obtained infestation information from trap monitoring, which causes unclear estimation on detriment costs, preventing effective pest management. Trap placement, which collects insect information through determining the exact location and number of traps, will enhance the precision for obtaining insect information. However, this method involves optimizing conflicting objectives. On one hand, smaller number of traps save the monitoring cost and enlarge the monitoring efficiency. On the other hand, number of traps may be insufficient and losses the monitoring accuracy. Existing studies to enhance the monitoring accuracy via both laboratory testing and high tech devices but they rarely considered economic efficacy in practice. In this paper, we characterize the trap placement problem as a Multi-Objective Optimization Problem under Uncertainty. Feedforward Neural Networks and Particle Swarm Optimization algorithms are used to design a tailored algorithm for modeling the conflicting objectives through process-based simulation. Then, robust multi-objective optimization evolutionary algorithm (RMOA) is developed to search for the Pareto optimal solution for the least number of traps settled at optimal positions. Results show the optimal and robust performance of exact trap locations to monitor insect infestation effectively under uncertain insect locations and dynamic insect growth. Compared to the studies that were mainly utilizing general algorisms for solving agricultural problems, the proposed model has implications for effective methods of capturing the characteristics of real-world insect monitoring applications in food industry.

Chemical Composition of Essential Oils of Different Hypericum Species Growing Wild in Shouf Biosphere Reserve, Lebanon

This study aims to assess the chemical composition of six Hypericum species growing wild in Shouf Biosphere Reserve (SBR) of Lebanon and discuss therapeutic potential of their different constituents. Fresh aerial parts were randomly collected from different locations during the flowering stage of the plant in 2022. Using hydrodistillation by Clevenger apparatus, essential oils were isolated and then analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and GCMass spectrometry. A total of 134 different chemical compounds were identified. H. triquetrifolium illustrated the highest diversity of compounds (55) followed by H. lanuginosum (51), H. perforatum (38) and H. thymifolium (30), H. libanoticum (23) and H. hircinum (15). While hydrogenated sesquiterpenes constituted the highest percentages of the overall composition of H. triquetrifolium, H. hircinum and H. perforatum (45.08 %), 31.88 % and 67.97%, respectively, oxygenated monoterpenes and hydrogenated monoterpenes were dominant in H. lanuginosum and H. thymifolium, respectively. Major compounds included β-Caryophyllene, γ-Terpinen, Ylangene, and α-Elemene found in the literature to have a wide range of therapeutic effects in pharmacological research. Findings confirm the traditional use of studied Hypericum species and the high potential of essential oils as rich source of many bioactive compounds of wide applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries.

Preparation of whey protein isolate-iron-curcumin ternary composite nanoparticles and investigation of formation mechanism

Whey protein isolate (WPI) exhibits mineral binding and acts as a potentially versatile carrier of the nutritional properties of curcumin. This study aimed to investigate the synthesis of WPI-Fe-Curcumin by combining iron and curcumin with WPI, to determine whether the antioxidant capacity of curcumin can protect the high-quality iron source Fe2+ when it binds to divalent iron ions, to describe the mechanism of WPI-Fe-Curcumin complex formation and to investigate the solubility stability of the complex. The results showed that (i) The iron content was 3.561 mg/g protein, and the encapsulation efficiency for curcumin was 99.98% efficiency. (ii) After dehydration, the high solubility of the WPI-Fe-Curcumin dry powder was 85.41% at 0 day and 82.84% at day 30. (iii) The addition of curcumin resulted in a 6.04% increase in Fe2+ content, indicating that curcumin provided an antioxidant reducing environment for the iron ions. (iv) The introduction of iron reduced the particle size and promoted the formation of β-sheet structures of whey protein. These results suggest that WPI-Fe-Curcumin can facilitate the development of effective nutrient delivery systems for applications in food, iron supplement, and pharmaceutical industries.

An Overview of the Phytochemical Composition of Different Organs of Prunus spinosa L., Their Health Benefits and Application in Food Industry

The purpose of this study is to analyze prospective approaches that emphasize the beneficial biofunctional and metabolic effects of different anatomic parts of the Prunus spinosa L. on maintaining human health and improving some pathophysiological processes. Our research is based on recent data from literature on the biology and ecology of P. spinosa L., focusing on its bioactive compounds. Based on such bifunctional parameters, we aim to conceptualize path-breaking approaches that have as a goal the incorporation of P. spinosa L. fruits into certain food products to make use of their potential metabolic benefits in cardiovascular pathologies and other disorders that are prevalent at present and respond to nutritional intake of antioxidants. It is well known that dietary interventions allow the search for mechanisms leading to the development of effective nutritional therapies. This review has mainly focused on the identification of bioactive and functional nutrients of P. spinosa L. that can be incorporated into diverse food formulations. This is because nutrition plays a pivotal role in the development, validation, and recommendation of the nutritional composition of food, with demonstrated impacts on metabolic processes in specific diet-related pathologies.

Schizophyllan from Schizophyllum commune BRM 060008: Potential application as an inhibitor of lipase

β-D-glucan has significant implications in regulating lipid metabolism and preventing diseases associated with lipid accumulation. Schizophyllan (SPG) from Schizophyllum commune fungus is a commercially important β-glucan with applications in the health food industry, pharmacy, and cosmetics. However, SPG was obtained by submerged culture of the wood-rotting and filamentous fungus S. commune BRM 060008, which may have been isolated from the Cerrado Biome of Brazil. In this study, to confirm that the polysaccharide produced by BRM 060008 strain fermentation was indeed (1→3)(1→6)-β-D-glucan, it was purified and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, high-performance size exclusion chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and methylation analysis. The polysaccharide produced was identified as the β-D-glucan expected with a high molecular weight (1.093 × 106 g/mol) and the thermogravimetric analysis indicated a maximum degradation temperature of ~324 °C and a 60 % residual weight, lower than commercial SPG. The molecular structure and thermal properties of the β-D-glucan were similar to the commercial sample. Additionally, the in vitro pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity was evaluated, investigating anti-obesity and anti-lipidemic properties. The results showed unprecedented lipase inhibition activity to SPG prepared using the S. commune strain BRM 060008, making it promising for food and pharmaceutical applications.

Chili: Breeding and Genomics

Chili or hot pepper is an important vegetable cum spice crop, which has huge commercial applications in food, nutrition, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The Capsicum genus originated in Central America with about 35 species, of which five are domesticated for cultivation. Color and pungency-related components such as capsanthins, capsaicinoids and capsinoids are unique to Capsicum genus. There exists large variability in the genus and genetic resources have been explored for breeding varieties/ hybrids with resistance/ tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses with enhanced fruit quality. In the present climate change scenario, there is an evolution of various pests and diseases, which requires continuous exploration of germplasm including related cultivated and wild species for novel genes/alleles. Conventional breeding has led to the development of improved lines/varieties/hybrids. Whole genome sequence information and the pan genome of chili are publicly available, which can help in the development of molecular markers associated with key traits of importance. Advancements in genomic resources and next-generation sequencing techniques can be employed to accelerate breeding programs.

Electrophoresis of hydrophobic and polarizable liquid droplets in hydrogel medium

The emulsion droplet-hydrogel composite is a new class of biomaterial which finds potential application in several fields, including chemical, biological, food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as to controlled release drug in targeted location, etc. Besides, the electric field response of polarizable emulsion droplets quenched in hydrogel medium offers several Lab-on-a-Chip applications. Note that the gel electrophoresis of such droplets is advantageous compared to free-flow electrophoresis. Given the importance, a general theory of electrophoresis applicable for any hydrophobic and polarizable liquid droplets quenched in hydrogel medium is developed. Such a theory is also applicable for electric field response of emulsion droplets quenched in a hydrogel medium. The mathematical model is based on conservation principles of mass and momentum considering the hydrogel skeleton as soft polymeric material saturated with electrolytic solution. Within the Debye-Hückel electrostatic framework, we have derived a closed form analytical expression for electrophoretic mobility of hydrophobic and polarizable liquid droplets embedded in hydrogel skeleton. The derived general expression is further approximated with negligible error and the corresponding approximate form is found to be very convenient and can be easily programmed on a personal computer. Additionally we further deduce several closed form analytical expressions derived under various limits. Thus, the newly derived analytical results may be useful to the experimentalists to analyze and interpret their observations.

Great potential of flaxseed mucilage

Mucilage is one of the key components of flaxseed (which is also called linseed), and exhibits unique functional properties such as high water-holding capacity, and foamability. As a result, flaxseed mucilage has applications in food, agriculture, medicine and other industries. The composition and functional properties of mucilage vary between genotypes. To explore this variation, we characterized the mucilage of nine diverse varieties of flaxseed according a range of parameters including: morphology, mucilage content, fibre content, minerals, phenolic acids, polyphenols, antimicrobial activity, and antioxidant activity. We found significant differences between the genotypes in almost all of the parameters tested. Furthermore, we found a strong correlation between several of these parameters, including antioxidant activity, hydroxycinnamic acid, and sugar content. Antimicrobial activity against Gram positive bacteria was correlated with fibre content and potassium content, while chlorogenic acid content was correlated with suppression of Gram negative bacteria. These results provide a framework for crop improvement further development of functional and value-added products from flaxseed.

New Record of Edible Chicken of the Wood Mushroom, Laetiporus versisporus (Lloyd) Imazeki (Fomitopsidaceae, Polyporales) from Sabah (Northern Borneo), Malaysia

The genus Laetiporus has been previously reported from Mesilau in Sabah, Northern Borneo in 1964. To date, no further documentation of the Laetiporus genus has been reported in Sabah, Malaysia. This study provides an overview of recent literature on taxonomic updates, distribution and sequence data of Laetiporus in Malaysia. During the period March – June 2020, two Laetiporus specimens were collected in Maliau Basin Conservation Area and Sipitang. These two specimens were identified as L. versisporus based on morphological characteristics and molecular methods. Interestingly, no sequence data for this particular species have been documented for Malaysian Borneo. This study represents the initial documentation of L. versisporus in Sabah (Northern Borneo) that have potential applications in medicine and food industry and provide insights into its phylogenetic relationship within the genus Laetiporus.

Kinetics of fermentative production of propionic acid on a range of carbon and nitrogen sources using Acidipropionibacterium acidipropionici

Propionic acid is a well-known organic acid with widespread applications in food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries, mainly produced by Acidipropionibacterium and Propionibacterium genera. In this work, Acidipropionibacterium acidipropionici is used to produce propionic acid from a range of carbon, and nitrogen sources. Their organic acid distribution differed significantly depending on the carbon sources used. Glycerol almost completely converted to propionic acid, whereas glucose produced significant amount of by-products. The product distribution of lactate was in between those carbon sources. The simultaneous use of two different carbon sources can speed up fermentation by up to 50%. The fastest propionic acid production rate was 0.564 gPA L−1 h−1 with combined use of glycerol and lactic acid. This was faster than the rates achieved with lactic acid and glucose (0.256 gPA L−1 h−1) and glucose and glycerol (0.317 gPA L−1 h−1) combinations. The concentration of the carbon source affects the fermentation rate, as increased osmotic pressure results in decreased μmax. The addition of biotin and pantothenate increased the rate of fermentation, also preventing pyruvic acid accumulation. Glucose gave the highest biomass yield among carbon sources, and yeast autolysate resulted in the highest product formation among nitrogen sources. A. acidipropionici can use ammonia as a nitrogen source but to a limited extent. Overall, A. acidipropionici is a versatile organism with the potential for industrial production of propionic acid due to its flexibility to use a range of carbon sources alone or in combination which can be tailored to achieve the desired end product.

Amylase production from marine sponge Hymeniacidon perlevis; potentials sustainability benefits.

The marine sponge Hymeniacidon perlevis is a globally distributed and invasive species with extensive filter-feeding characteristics. The symbiotic relationship fostered between the sea sponge and the inhabiting microorganism is key in the production of metabolic enzymes which is the focus of this study. Sponge bacterial symbionts were grown on starch agar for 48hrs. Colourimetric analyses of amylase were conducted at 540nm using a spectrophotometric plate reader. Using an X-Bridge column (3.5μM, 4.6x150mm), 80/20 acetonitrile/water in 0.1% ammonium were the conditions used for the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analyses. Seven reducing sugars were used to optimise LC-MS to determine the presence of the crude enzyme formed. Not all the bacterial symbionts isolated from H perlevis produced alpha and beta amylases to break down starch. From the statistical mean of crude enzyme concentrations from the hydrolysis of starch by amylase, isolate seven had the highest optical density (OD) at 0.43475 while isolate twelve had the lowest OD at 0.141417. From the LC-MS analysis, out of the seven sugars, Glucose and maltose constituted > 65% of the reducing sugars formed from the hydrolysis of starch by the amylases. Isolates 3,6 and 7 produced 6.906 mg/l, 12.309 mg/l, and 5.909 mg/l of glucose, while isolates 3,4,5,6 and 7 produced 203.391 mg/l, 176.238 mg/l, 139.938 mg/l, 39.030 mg/l, and 18.809 mg/l of maltose, respectively. Isolate two had the highest amount of maltose at a concentration of 267.237 mg/l while isolate four had the highest amount of glucose concentration of 53.084 mg/l. Enzymes from marine sponge bacteria offer greater potential for a green and sustainable production process. Amylase extraction from bacterial symbionts in H perlevis is sustainable and should be supported. They can serve as reliable sources of revenue for enzyme industries, and applications in food industries and biotechnological processes.

Cold plasma technology and its applications in food industry

Cold plasma technology and its applications in food industry

Assessing the Sustainability of Palm Oil by Expert Interviews—An Application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process

Palm oil plays a crucial role in the food industry, industrial applications, and bioenergy, accounting for over one-third of global vegetable oil production. The production area has quadrupled, and the volume is about seven times higher today than in the early 1990s. This significant increase is attributed to several factors, including the oil palm’s notably higher yield per hectare compared to other oilseeds, cost-effectiveness, versatility, and excellent manufacturing characteristics. Despite its economic benefits, industrial palm oil production raises substantial ecological and social concerns, such as deforestation, habitat loss, and labor issues. This study presents a comprehensive sustainability assessment that concurrently considers economic, environmental, and social aspects. Through qualitative expert interviews, various stakeholders in the supply chain evaluated the sustainability criteria of palm oil production and application using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a decision support tool helping to analyze, structure, and solve complex decision problems. The results reveal that, on average, the experts consider environmental criteria to be of the highest importance, followed by social sustainability, while economic criteria are of lower significance. However, the approximations regarding the weighting of the criteria showed considerable variations among experts. The AHP priority index for RSPO-certified palm oil is nearly as high as the reference product “EU canola oil”; this observation is consistent with all expert judgments. This study provides an adequate approach to assessing the sustainability of agricultural supply chains, offering practical recommendations for the food industry and policymakers.

Discovery and characterization of a novel carbohydrate-binding module: a favorable tool for investigating agarose.

Agarose, mainly composed of 3,6-anhydro-α-l-galactopyranose (LA) and β-d-galactopyranose (G) units, is an important polysaccharide with wide applications in food, biomedical and bioengineering industries. Carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) are favorable tools for the investigations of polysaccharides. Few agarose-binding CBMs have been hitherto reported, and their binding specificity is unclear. An unknown domain with a predicted β-sandwich fold was discovered from a β-agarase of the marine bacterium Wenyingzhuangia fucanilytica CZ1127T . The expressed protein WfCBM101 could bind to agarose and exhibited relatively weak affinity for porphyran, with no affinity for the other seven examined polysaccharides. The protein binds to the tetrasaccharide (LA-G)2 , but not to the major tetrasaccharide contained in porphyran. The sequence novelty and well-defined binding function of WfCBM101 shed light on a novel CBM family (CBM101). Furthermore, the feasibility of WfCBM101 for visualizing agarose in situ was confirmed. A novel CBM, WfCBM101, with a desired specificity for agarose was discovered and characterized, which represents a new CBM family. The CBM could be utilized as a promising tool for studies of agarose. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of wax chain length on the adhesion dynamics and interfacial rigidity of Salmonella Typhimurium LT2

The wax layer on the surface of fruits and vegetables is the first line of defense against a range of environmental stresses. The initial stage in the etiology of bacterial foodborne illnesses involves the bacterial adhesion and colonization on the wax layer of food commodities. Herein, we report a systematic study that provides new insights into dynamics of interfacial nanoscale processes associated with the transition of bacteria from a planktonic state to a sessile state at the early stages. To achieve this, we coated a piezoelectric sensor with model waxes containing linear alkyl carbon chains of varying lengths (from 6 to 18 carbons) via chemisorption. The process of bacterial adhesion to these wax-coated sensors was monitored using the Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D) technique, which offers nanogram-level gravimetric accuracy and millisecond time resolution. Our findings revealed that surfaces with higher hydrophobicity are more susceptible to Salmonella adhesion. Furthermore, we conduct a comparative analysis of the viscoelastic properties of the adhered layer, revealing distinct behaviors: Salmonella adhered to C6-wax exhibited solid-like characteristics, while adherence to C18-wax rendered a more liquid-like response. This observation underscores the role of interfacial energy in governing bacterial adhesion, as interpreted through the thermodynamic and surface science model, ultimately influencing rigidity. This investigation offers valuable insights into the initial adhesion to surfaces and has potential implications for surface design and modification within the food industry and other relevant applications, while also contributing to our understanding of bacterial contamination in food commodities.

Chemical Processing and Various Applications of Starch Extracted from Avocado Seeds: A Step towards Sustainable Food Waste Management

AbstractA sustainable food waste management methodology has been proposed for the discarded seeds of avocados (Persia Americana mill) where starch is extracted from the seeds through a microwave assisted heating process using only water, and this starch is modified through chemical treatment into acrylamide starch and carboxymethylated starch. Native as well as modified variants of starch are characterized using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), which confirms the extraction of native starch and its chemical modification. The extracted and modified variants are then analyzed for their antioxidant properties against oxidative stress by checking their scavenging activity against DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl). Moreover, the three variants of starch are tested for hemolytic activity in order to determine whether they are harmful to human blood, finally these three variants are checked for their activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus bacteria, the root cause in most cases of bacterial infection in humans. The starch variants are found to be excellent antioxidants and all three starch variants indicate a very low hemolytic activity and significant antibacterial activity in comparison to widely used antibiotic Ciproflaxin. All these results indicate that avocado seeds waste can be an excellent non‐conventional source of starch that can be used for sustainable applications in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Synthesis and analysis of silica nanocarriers for pectinase immobilization: Enhancing enzymatic stability for continuous industrial applications

Pectinolytic enzymes are among the important group of industrial enzymes that have wide applications in different food industries. In this study, pectinase-based silica nanocarriers were synthesized using co-precipitation and cross-linking techniques. The resulting silica nanoparticles were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive electron microscopy (EDEX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for determination of its morphology, elemental composition, and crystalline pattern. Under the optimal immobilization conditions like 1.5 % glutaraldehyde, 3000 IU/mg pectinase concentration, 90 min immobilization time and 40 °C immobilization temperature, pectinase showed maximum immobilization yield. The immobilization of pectinase onto the silica nanocarriers led to enhanced catalytic characteristics, displaying higher enzymatic activity across various temperature and pH levels compared to soluble pectinase. Moreover, the immobilization substantially improved the temperature stability of pectinase, exhibiting 100 % of its initial activity even after 120 h of pre-incubation at 50 °C. Additionally, the silica nanocarrier pectinase retained 100 % of its original activity even after being reused 10 times in a single batch of reactions. These findings indicate that the immobilization of silica nanocarriers effectively enhances pectinase's industrial capabilities, making it economically feasible for industrial use and an efficient system for various biotechnological applications.

Extraction, structural properties, and bioactivities of Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) isothiocyanates: A review

Moringa, a medicinal and edible plant, is rich in extremely high levels of nutrients and several active ingredients. Moringa isothiocyanates (MITC) are the key bioactive components of Moringa, which could be utilized in the food and pharmaceutical industries. This review aims to highlight the research progress in the extraction methods, isolation and purification processes of MITC. The structure properties of MITC and the metabolism of the compounds are described in detail. The bioactivities of MITC are summarized as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, antidiabetic, neuroprotective, relieve pain, anti-obesity potential, and other activities. In order to bring MITC into the food and pharmaceutical fields as early as possible, bioavailability, safety and toxicity deserve high attention. Therefore, six sections are reviewed in terms of extraction, structural properties, bioactivity, structure-bioactivity and bioavailability relationships of MITC, safety and toxicity, and applications in food and biomedical industries. It is expected that the mass production of MITC, which originated in India and is distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and Central America, will be achieved on a larger scale and that new insights will be gained for the development of new resource foods and new clinical drugs.

Physico-Chemical, Textural and Sensory Evaluation of Emulsion Gel Formulated with By-Products from the Vegetable Oil Industry.

The aim of this study was to obtain low fat mayonnaise-like emulsion gels using sesame cake and walnut cake by-products resulting from vegetable oil extraction. The ingredients used to formulate the mayonnaise like emulsion gel samples were corn starch, sesame seed cake (SSC), walnuts seed cake (WSC), lemon juice, sunflower oil, mustard, sugar, salt, gelatin and water. Five different samples were prepared: one control lab sample (M) containing only corn starch and the other ingredients (without SSC and WSC), two samples (SO1 and SO2) with 2 and 4% of SSC (without corn starch and WSC) and two samples (WO1 and WO2) with 2 and 4% of WSC (without corn starch and SSC). Also, an egg-free commercial mayonnaise (CM) was purchased and used for comparison. Physicochemical (fat, protein, moisture, ash, carbohydrate, water activity, emulsion stability, viscosity, density and color), textural (hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness), and sensory (aspect, color, texture/firmness, flavor, taste and acceptability) attributes of all samples were investigated. The results showed that carbohydrate content decreased in all four seed cakes samples compared to the control sample, while protein and fat content increased in all seed cakes samples, with the largest increases observed in the sesame seed cake samples. It was observed that the CM sample has a carbohydrate content value close to that obtained for the M sample, while the protein content has the lowest value for the CM sample compared to all samples analyzed. The stability of the emulsion gels increased from 70.73% (control sample) to 83.64% for the sample with 2% addition sesame seed cake and to 84.09% for the 2% walnut cake added, due to the coagulation capacity of the added cakes. The type and concentration of oil seeds cake added in emulsion gels affected their textural properties such as hardness, adhesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness. The hardness and adhesiveness of low-fat mayonnaise-like emulsion gels samples decreased with the addition of oil seeds cake. However, the addition of by-products improved the sensory properties of emulsion gels. This study provided a theoretical basis for the food industry's application of oilseed cakes, especially for the development of low-fat mayonnaise.

ÉPOP (traditional starter culture): a complex composition of plant resources prepared by the Misings of Assam, Northeast India

Ethnic practices with relation to starter culture reflect a region-specific traditions; therefore, documentation of such knowledge is key to improvise basic understanding as how traditions, cultures, and processes are linked to local dietary systems, food and nutrition security, and social connection. Considering this, the present study aims to investigate the Mising ethnic tribal group, Assam state in Northeast India, with a focus to investigate mode of starter culture making for preparing local beverage along with plant species being used, time of collection, procedure of making starter culture, and how it is preserved. The community maintains an agrarian culture and is closely associated with forest-based natural resources. This group of people consumes various foods prepared from wild plants and crops along with meat and fish. Apong is one of the most important components of their culture, used as a beverage made up of rice by using starter culture locally known as ÉPOP. Detailed process of making of starter culture was documented. A total of 31 plant species varying from 22 families belonging to both flowering and non-flowering plants were recorded used by the community. Eight species also comprised market potential for diverse uses besides being used in starter culture preparation. The source of the collected resources varied from fallow land to forest, with the highest collection concentration in the forest (35.5%), mostly collected in the afternoon (51.61%) to ensure a quality of the plant material. The collected plant materials are mixed with soaked glutinous rice and made into starter cultures of different sizes that have a shelf life of 6 months. The study highlights that use of starter culture is consistent and harmless with distinct flavor and taste that apt to local appetite. Conserving community knowledge on starter culture making, however, requires appropriate policy planning and action line. The investigation not only increases our understanding on local food tradition but also has potential for applications in fermented food industry and thus opens up a new line of research in future.