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Organic Acid Production

	Organic Acid Production - Many organic acids such as acetic, lactic, citric, gluconic, itaconic, fumaric etc., are produced by microbial- fermentations. Acetic acid is produced by the oxidation of ethyl alcohol by bacteria such as Acetobacter species and the production of vinegar from fruit juices is perhaps one of the oldest organic acid fermentations known.
The commercial production of vinegar is still an emperical process which involves a preliminary fermentation of the fruit juice to produce ethyl alcohol and its secondary fermentation into acetic acid, under aerobic conditions. Various species of Acetobacter have the ability to oxidize alcohol to acetic acid. The rate and final amount of acetic acid produced depends to a great extent on the oxygen supply, the initial a alcohol concentration and the strain of the bacterium. Thus, for increasing efficiency of acetic acid production various types of vinegar generators are used.
In one type of generator wooden shavings packed in a column are saturated with the mother vinegar (old vinegar containing acetic bacteria) and fresh fermented alcoholic solution is then circulate. Acetic acid bacteria develop as a thin film on the wooden shavings and carry out the oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid. Solution containing about 5-6 per cent alcohol are converted into vinegar in less than five days. These days, the process of acetic fermentation is further improved by the use of stirred tank fermentors or column fermentors which are vigorously aerated. In these, the desirable acetic acid level can be obtained in a few hours.

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