Fermentation products: Acetic acid

Acetic acid is the second simplest carboxylic acid (the simplest is formic acid) and is an important chemical reagent and industrial chemical, mainly used in the production of cellulose acetate for photographic film and polyvinyl acetate for wood glue, as well as synthetic fibers and fabrics. In households, diluted acetic acid is often used in descaling agents. In the food industry, it is used under the food additive code E260 as an acidity regulator and as a condiment. Acetic acid has a distinctive sour taste and pungent smell.

Acetic acid in vinegar

As a chemical reagent, biological sources of acetic acid are of interest but generally uncompetitive. Vinegar is dilute acetic acid, often produced by fermentation and subsequent oxidation of ethanol. Vinegar was known early in civilization as the natural result of exposure of beer and wine to air, because acetic acid-producing bacteria are present globally. The use of the product in alchemy extends into the 3rd century BC. Acetic acid is produced and excreted by bacteria. These bacteria are found universally in foodstuffs, water, and soil,

Contact our fermentation specialists for more information on the production of Acetic acid from biomass resources.