Key kombucha process parameters for optimal bioactive compounds and flavor quality

Authors: CHALUVADI, SAIKIRAN - Harris Tea Company Private Label And Specialty Tea; Hotchkiss, Arland; SMITH, BENJAMIN - Harris Tea Company Private Label And Specialty Tea; KOERFER, BIANCA - Harris Tea Company Private Label And Specialty Tea; White, Andre; Guron, Giselle; Renye, John; YAM, KIT - Rutgers University

Submitted to: Fermentation
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/26/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Fermented tea (Kombucha) has many unsubstantiated health claims that require more scientific data. In this study, we found that Kombucha did not contain known health-promoting bacteria but the tea bioactive compounds and acids produced are known to promote healthy gut function. Kombucha produced from black and green tea, age of culture and culture surface area were optimized for bioactive content and flavor. These results will provide manufacturers and consumers who make their own Kombucha with a better process to produce a functional food beverage that promotes gut health.

Technical Abstract: Kombucha contains potentially health promoting compounds such as tea polyphenols, acetic and gluconic acids. The relationship between key fermentation process parameters and microbial activity is critical for solving quality control issues such as inconsistent flavor, sugar and alcohol content. We determined how the type of tea, age of inoculum, presence or absence of solid inoculum and specific interfacial surface area impacted chemical (sugars, acids, alcohol, catechins, total polyphenols), microbial (bacteria and yeast counts, and composition) and sensory characteristics. No known probiotic bacteria were identified in Kombucha. The prebiotic-like properties of tea polyphenols and the antimicrobial properties of tea catechins and organic acids confer health-promoting properties for this functional beverage. These findings will help expand the existing knowledge of Kombucha fermentation mechanisms and add to a list of key process variables that producers should monitor to devise strategies for better quality control.