Controlled fermentation is becoming a key tool for dairy processors in Romania as they seek to meet the growing demand for healthy, natural, and functional products. Unlike traditional fermentation, the controlled process involves the use of standardized cultures, selected based on efficiency, taste, safety, and microbiological stability.

At the European level, over 80% of yogurt and cheese production involves standardized starter cultures, and Romania is beginning to follow this trend. Romanian companies are investing in their own laboratories or collaborating with suppliers of lactic cultures to adapt recipes to local tastes and market demands. Processors using controlled fermentation can ensure better product consistency, extended shelf life, and reduced risk of contamination.

Controlled fermentation is essential in the development of functional products – probiotic, lactose-free, low-salt, or reduced-fat. It also allows product range differentiation on organoleptic and nutritional criteria, without compromising food safety. Romania already has facilities producing matured cheeses through directed fermentation and yogurts with customized strains, particularly in the Transylvania region.

Integrating this process into regular production requires investments in fermentation chambers, automated temperature and pH control, as well as specialized personnel. Costs can range between €50,000 and €250,000 to adapt an existing line, but profitability increases through reduced losses and expanded market opportunities. In the coming years, controlled fermentation will become a key differentiator between processors that innovate and those that remain anchored in outdated practices.

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