Fermented Foods, Probiotics, and Lactic Acid Bacteria: A conversation with Maria Marco

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a central role in many fermented foods, including sourdough, kimchi, pickles, olives, zha cai, kefir, ogi, and cheese, among others. These microbes produce lactic acid, which acidifies the fermented food, making it both safe and tasty. Specific LAB strains have also been characterized as probiotics. But how do LAB found in fermented foods differ from probiotics? And what exactly defines a probiotic?We spoke with Dr. Maria Marco, a Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California, Davis. Her lab primarily focuses on lactic acid bacteria in food systems and the mammalian digestive tract. She has authored and collaborated on numerous important papers covering fermentation and health, probiotics, and the future of the fermented food field.Join our conversation on hybrid fermentation, probiotics, and the open questions in health and fermentation studies.

Om Podcasten

The Center for Human Microbiome Studies at Stanford University School of Medicine presents Fermentation and Health Speaker Series, led by Elisa Caffrey, David Zilber, and Dr. Justin Sonnenburg. The goal of this series is to create space to have nuanced conversations around the current understanding and knowledge gaps of fermented food research, and act as a platform to define and promote future fermented food and health projects.