Promising ingredients used for kimchi fermentation: Effects of cordyceps militaris fermentation products on the over-acidification and quality of kimchi

Kimchi ferments continuously during distribution and storage, the extension of shelf life by avoiding over- acidification is a big challenge in the kimchi industry. In this study, Cordyceps militaris fermentation products (CMFP) were added to kimchi as naturally occurring antimicrobial agents to explore its influence on the over- acidification and the quality of kimchi. It was found that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were responsible for the over-acidification of kimchi, the addition of CMFP changed microbial community and significantly inhibited the growth of LAB that caused the over-acidification of kimchi in the later stage of kimchi fermentation. Meanwhile, CMFP had almost no effects on the sensory quality and physicochemical properties of kimchi. The findings in this study should be indicated that CMFP can be used as naturally occurring antimicrobial agents to control kimchi fermentation without affecting consumer acceptance.