Open Access

This systematic review critically examines existing literature on the effects of spontaneous fermentation on the nutritional and antinutritional properties of the aforementioned food staples, focusing on the changes in nutrients, digestibility, and antinutrients. The literature search flow was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRiSMA-2020) approach. Only peer-reviewed journal articles published in English between 2002 and 2024 were sourced from Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. A total of 67 articles were considered eligible after the title, abstract, full text, and quality assessment. It was evident from the various studies consulted in this review that traditional fermentation, though being an ancient food processing practice, remains an important approach for increasing the level of nutrients, reducing antinutritional factors, and enhancing the nutrient digestibility of cereals, legumes, roots, tuber, and plantain. This has made fermented foods an important part of diet and nutrition in many cultures around the world, especially in the global south, with limited access to sophisticated food processing techniques and infrastructure. Overall, the findings suggest that incorporating spontaneous fermentation into the preparation of cereals, legumes, roots, and tuber crops can be a valuable strategy for enhancing the nutritional value and health-promoting properties of these dietary staples.

Als Erweiterung des Förderschwerpunkts „Berufsbildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung“ (BBNE) und aus Mitteln des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung hat das Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung in der Förderlinie III Modellversuche zur Entwicklung nachhaltigkeitsorientierter Kompetenzen in Lebensmittelhandwerk und -industrie gefördert (2018–2021). Trotz unterschiedlicher Herausforderungen der Modellversuche, auch begründet durch berufsspezifische Gegebenheiten, steht das übergeordnete Ziel im Vordergrund, domänenspezifische Nachhaltigkeitskompetenzen in Berufen des Lebensmittelhand- werks und der Lebensmittelindustrie zu entwickeln. Denn wie Lebensmittel produziert und konsumiert werden, hat einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf die nachhaltigkeitsbezogenen Auswirkungen unserer Ernährung. Lebensmittel sollen nicht nur satt machen, sondern gleichzeitig fair und umweltgerecht produziert werden, gesundheitsfördernd, schmackhaft und sicher sein. Lebensmittelproduzierende Betriebe in Industrie und Handwerk stehen vor der Aufgabe, diese vielfältigen Anforderungen zu erfüllen und somit auch dazu beizutragen, zukünftigen Generationen ein gesundes Leben zu ermöglichen. Dieser einführende Beitrag zeigt auf, warum der Beitrag der Berufsbildung zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung unse- res Ernährungssystems so wichtig ist. Dazu stellt er die Auswirkungen des Ernährungssystems auf die Umwelt und Gesellschaft dar. Gleichzeitig weist er auf die Herausforderungen und Chancen für Lebensmittelproduzenten hin, die es im Rahmen der BBNE zu berücksichtigen gilt. Zudem werden Impulse für nachhaltige Produktinnovationen vorgestellt.

Food-processing companies are controlled by societal influences and economic interests, but their efforts with regard to reducing food loss and waste are very different. This qualitative study aims to identify basic recommendations of good practice for the food-processing industry in order to prevent and handle food loss and waste. For this purpose, a comprehensive literature review was conducted in the field of food waste prevention and data was collected from thirteen German companies. The findings summarize the recommendations of good practice, which cover the entire supply chain from supplier to consumer and beyond. The analysis showed that the participating companies are already partially aware of operational measures, even if they are applied or mentioned without a systematic approach. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that most activities relate to internal matters, like processing, employees and utilization. However, the responsibility of foodprocessing companies does not end with internal processes to reduce food waste. The results show that some companies are already aware of their responsibility to be involved along the entire supply chain. Finally, the results show that the needs of consumers and suppliers must also be considered in order to reduce food waste, in addition to direct reduction measures. This paper highlights nine important stages and 53 basic recommendations for companies to address food loss and waste in order to improve their practices.