Vinegars: Process, Aging, and Spoilage

The production of vinegar can be presumably dated back to the dawn of agriculture and, although once conceived as a poor product, the days its use is widespread as a condiment and food preservative. In Asia and Africa, vinegar is used as a beverage and is thus characterized by a less sour taste. China is also a huge producer of cereal vinegars, such as rice, sorghum, and barley vinegars. The volume loss in a barrel is typical also of the aging processes of distilled beverages and is known as the "angels' share" in the English-speaking world. Although vinegar can be considered as a safe product from a general point of view, it is not devoid of risks associated with the raw materials, the production process, and the packaging. The spoilage of vinegar sounds improbable, since it is a food preservative thanks to its high level of acetic acid and its low pH; vinegar actually undergoes frequent alterations.