Vinegars are classified in accordance with the raw material used for their production.
Vinegars may be obtained from either wine or a variety of alcohol products. Choosing the alcohol product intended for acetification depends mainly or nearly on the predominance of certain type of raw material in the market, and also on the habitual consumer’s taste.
The industrial processes used for the production of the various types of vinegar are similar, while the vinegars’ chemical, physical and organoleptic properties are obviously different since they keep the specificity of the raw material from which they come.
Once the raw material has entered the factory, a preparation is made with the addition of nutrients and other substances for fermentation.
This preparation is made using a device known as bioreactor or acetator (vinegar fermenter) which operates by the submerged fermentation method. In the bioreactor, throughout the whole process, there is a growth medium of active acetic bacteria called Acetobacter aceti which are responsible for the fermentation, i.e. they transform the alcohol of the raw material into acetic acid.
The vinegar obtained after the fermentation process contains some sediment, therefore it is necessary to carry out a clarification process followed by a filtration process; thus the vinegar is ready for its bulk dispatch.
Vinegar is measured or marketed by its acidity which is expressed in acetic acid (g%, w/v), the main component of the product after water.
It can be asserted that vinegar does not expire, and this is why it is used as a preservative due to its main properties.