Researchers in Finland have discovered live bacterial species in antique beer originating from the mid-1800´s. The discovery has interesting potential for food and health applications, according to VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
A few bottles of beer were found in an old shipwreck in the archipelago of Åland in Finland during the summer of 2010. Researchers have now managed to isolate four different species of live lactic acid bacteria from the beer.

- Lactic acid bacteria derived from the old beer have interesting potential applications, especially in the food and beverage industry. They are stress tolerant and potentially very stable in food and non-food matrixes. Live cultures offer opportunities for modifying the structure, taste, healthiness and safety of the products. The isolated bacteria provide interesting model organisms to understand and improve long-term survival of non-spore-forming bacteria, said Annika Wilhelmson, Key Account Manager at VTT.

VTT was...