Identification of bacterial microbiota of traditional homemade vinegars

In this study, microbiological analyses were performed on 41 samples of homemade vinegar to obtain information on the microbiota that might play a role in its fermentation. For this aim total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeasts and moulds, enterococci, coliform bacteria, probable acetic acid bacteria counts, pH and titratable acidity were investigated. Ninety-eight bacterial isolates were obtained from glucose-yeast-extract-calcium carbonate (GYC) medium. The isolates were classified using repetitive-element polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) technique with GTG5 primer. Identification of the isolates was performed by partial 16S rDNA sequencing. Bacillus, Brevibacillus parabrevis, Acetobacter okinawensis, Paenibacillus, Lactobacillus casei, Acetobacter pasteurianus and Acinetobacter johnsonii were found in the microbiota of vinegar samples. Low acidity of the product and the composition of the microbiota suggested that the production of vinegar at home was often not successful and the product obtained was actually not vinegar.