INNOVATIVE FERMENTED FOODS: FROM THE CHARACTERIZATION OF STARTER MICROORGANISMS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRODUCTION PROTOCOLS

Conventional food production is no longer sustainable and places significant strain on the environment. With the world’s population projected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, feeding this growing population while preserving natural ecosystems presents a critical challenge. To address this, drastic changes are necessary, including a shift towards healthy diets, regenerative agricultural practices, and waste valorization. In this context, new or alternative crops and food by-products present promising opportunities for sustainable food production. Furthermore, innovations—understood as new products, processes, or services—are recognized as essential tools for companies in the food industry to better meet consumer needs by producing more sustainable products with enhanced nutritional value. This thesis explores innovative approaches to the development of more sustainable fermented food products, focusing on the use of local matrices such as chickpea, Kamut, and pomegranate and its by-products. Moreover, with the goal of fermenting unconventional matrices, the selection of starters has played a crucial role, highlighting the potential of using non-conventional autochthonous microorganisms (i.e. isolated from the matrix and used as starters to ferment it). The use of fermentation, either as the only method or in combination with other technologies, has enabled the production of products with improved nutritional and sensory qualities.