Yeasts in amylolytic food starters

Abstract

IN MANY AREAS OF ASIA, DRY STARTERS ARE USED FOR FOOD FERMENTATIONS OF RICE AND CASSAVA. STARTERS CONSIST OF MIXOD CULTURES OF YEAST, BACTERIA AND MOLDS. BASSED UPON A STUDY OF NEARLY 100 YEAST STRAINS FROM RAGI, MURCHA, CHINESE YEAST AND BUBOD, THE PREDOMINANT YEASTS WERE SACCHAROMYCOPSIS FIBULIGERA AND, TO A LESSER EXTENT, S. MALANGE. WHEN SELECTED YEAST STRAINS WERE USED WITH VARIOUS BACTERIA FROM THESE STARTERS, THE LAO-CHAO RICE FERMENTATION WAS NOT SATISFACTORY. HOWEVER, WHEN A MOLD (MUCOR INDICUS) ISOLATED FROM BUBOD WAS USED ALONG WITH S. FIBULIGERA, A SATISFACTORY FOOD WAS PRODUCED.