Tag: micro - organisms: a wonderful world

Cheese is one of the oldest milk products prepared with the help of microbes.The curd is separated from liquid part or whey to form cheese. Dosa, Upma are fermented preparation of rice and black gram. The two are allowed to ferment for 3-12 hours with air borne Leuconostoc and Streptococcus species of bacteria. Toddy is a traditional drink of some parts of South India which is made by fermentation of sap of palms.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the fungus which is commonly known as baker's yeast. The yeast cells are added to the batter of idli and dosa. The fungus performs anaerobic fermentation. The fungus utilizes the fermentable sugars and convert them to ethanol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide gas causes the dough to rise and become soft and fluffy. The carbon dioxide bubbles gets trapped in the dough and when baking is done, this bubbles break and forms pores. 

Dosa and Idli are traditional South Indian dishes made from a fermented batter of rice and black gram (urad dal).

Sausages are meat products that undergo fermentation by lactic acid bacteria to preserve them and enhance flavor.

Processed cheese is manufactured by blending one or more natural cheeses of different ages with emulsifying salts and heating them to create a uniform product.

We use microbes or products derived from them everyday. There are various microbes that help us produces so many dairy products. For eg. Yoghurt is produced  commercially with the help of  Lactobacillus bulgaricus and  Streptococcus thermophilus

Lactobacillus helps in curd formation by coagulating and partially digesting the milk proteins.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) improve the nutritional quality of milk by increasing the content of Vitamin B12.

• Curdling of milk produces curd which occurs due to the presence of Lactobacillus bacteria which convert milk sugar to lactic acid at high temperatures.
• Curd is rich in minerals like calcium, phasphorus potassium and zinc.
• They are also rich in protein.
  
• They are a good source of vitamins like riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, and Vitamin A. 
• So, the correct answer is 'Calcium'.

The fermentation of the batter for Idli and Dosa is primarily carried out by bacteria, specifically species like Leuconostoc and Streptococcus, which are lactic acid bacteria.