Kombucha as a Functional Beverage

Abstract

Abstract Kombucha tea is a fermented beverage, which has gained immense popularity due to its purported health benefits. The beverage has its origins in the east, while the enzymes, bacterial acids, and other secondary metabolites produced by the microbes during the fermentation qualify the beverage to be a functional drink. The beverage contains osmophilic yeasts and acetic acid producing bacteria living together symbiotically. Yeasts in particular, convert added sugar in tea to organic acids and ethanol, and acetic acid bacteria uses ethanol to produce cellulose fiber during the fermentation period. As a functional beverage, kombucha has shown much promise as a drink which can be easily prepared in households as well as with the potential to upscale into a commercially produced beverage. Its sensory properties are generally well received by consumers, although areas for improvement such as reducing/modifying its presence of alcohol still exist.