Why Ontario researchers want more people to eat fermented foods
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The first Canadian network of its kind, launched in London, Ontario this week, aims to help Canadians better understand the health benefits of fermented foods, and even make them part of daily diets, hospital meals and national nutrition guidelines.
The Canadian Fermented Foods Initiative (CFFI) officially launched on Monday with a gathering of researchers and industry experts from across Canada and Europe. The project brings together scientists, chefs, health professionals and food producers to share research, recipes and science-based expertise on fermented foods.
Fermented foods, such as sourdough bread, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and kombucha, have been part of global food traditions for centuries. But researchers say modern science is beginning to capture what many cultures have long known.
“Large, population-based studies show that people who eat fermented foods are generally healthier, have fewer digestive problems and a lower risk of chronic diseases,” said Jeremy Burton, head of one of Canada’s largest microbiome programs and interim vice-president of research at St. Joseph’s Health Care London and the Lawson Research Institute.
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A new Canadian initiative, and the first of its kind in North America, is helping people understand the health benefits of fermented foods. Jeremy Burton, interim vice president of research at St Joseph’s Health Care London and the Lawson Research Institute, tells London Morning how they are looking at foods such as sourdough bread, sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha to understand their health benefits.
Burton told london morning Host Andrew Brown said the aim is simple: to inspire more Canadians to eat, make and understand fermented foods.
“We want to get more fermented foods into hospitals, we want to get fermented foods into dietary guidelines, and we want to bring science to that fermented food,” he said.
Burton said compounds produced during fermentation, or “fermentation-ceuticals,” may help reduce cancer risk and improve cardiometabolic health, but the science is not yet settled.
“There’s still a lot we don’t know,” Burton said. “Microbes transform basic foods into entirely new products, and those new products can have health benefits. But we need to include a lot more.”
Part of the initiative involves making home fermentation more accessible. London chef, high school teacher and Certified Master Food Preservative Connor Flynn worked with Burton to create step-by-step fermented food guides.
“Fermenting foods is an old practice that is never going away,” Flynn said in a news release. “It fell out of favor in North America for a while, but it’s coming back.”
Flynn did it too create instructional videos To ferment sauerkraut, beets, crouches and pickles.
Burton said future research will look at how increasing fermented food consumption could improve the health of Canadians, support sustainability and reduce food waste.
More information on the project, including recipes, can be found here fermentedfoods.ca,
