# The Role of Fermented Vegetables as a Sustainable and Health-Promoting Nutritional Resource
## 6 Discussion
Therefore, the integration of innovative research, technological advancements, and dietary guidelines positions fermented foods not merely as culinary products or occasional appetizers consumed in social settings, but as significant contributors to both planetary sustainability and human well-being. Furthermore, beyond the potential effects of fermented foods that are yet to be fully discovered, it is worth highlighting their significance as long-lasting products in situations that may lead to food shortages among populations. For example, the recent pandemic has drawn attention to issues of malnutrition, particularly among vulnerable demographics such as the elderly, who faced barriers in accessing food due to strict lockdown measures [361; 362]. In such circumstances, fermented foods could assume a critical role in meeting nutritional demands, yet they are often overlooked as a valuable food source. For this reason, given their beneficial properties and extended shelf life, fermented foods should also be considered as potential nutritional tools in preparation for possible future pandemics. Nevertheless, in addition to their recognized advantages in terms of health, durability, and sustainability, fermented vegetables are also the subject of diverse perspectives that deserve further discussion. For instance, although LAB strains offer very promising probiotic effects and benefits in the GM, their consistency in modulating gut health could be questioned due to the variability of the individual microbiome and strain-specific actions. Furthermore, LAB may produce several bioactive catabolites, such as histamine and tyramine, that act on the CNS, causing hypertension and allergies [363]. More recently, [PERSON] et al. [364] found that LAB was related to the presence of the genera _Megasphaera_, _Faecalibacterium_, _Subololigranulum_, _Pseudobutyrivivibrio_, _Catenibacterium_, _Clostritium sensu stricto 1_ and \(2\), _Phascalorstobacterium_, and members of the _Oscillospiraceae_ NK4A214 group,which are associated with the development of several metabolic disorders, including inflammatory bowel diseases. Another important issue is the safety of fermented foods, especially in uncontrolled or small-scale fermentations, where the risk of pathogen contamination is higher. In many cases, traditional practices persist in which certain products, often prepared in homemade settings, are fermented without strict adherence to food safety guidelines, thereby ignoring microbiological control and pH regulation. Despite this, these products are sometimes marketed without triggering health concerns, which can pose significant risks to consumer health and may also contribute to negative perceptions of fermented vegetables. A clear example would be classics like homemade pickles, which are frequently sold by local vendors without standardized quality controls. In these cases, the risks can include contamination with pathogens such as _Listeria monocytogenes_, _Salmonella_, or _Escherichia coli_, all of which pose serious health risks, particularly to vulnerable populations. In fact, the presence of various groups of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms has been documented in fermented foods. These include spore-forming pathogenic bacteria such as _Bacillus_ spp. and _Clostridium_ spp., as well as non-spore-forming pathogens like _Listeria monocytogenes_, _Salmonella_ spp., and _Shigella_ spp. Bacterial toxin producers, such as _Staphylococcus aureus_, are also a concern, along with yeasts like _Candidia_ spp. and _Saccharomyces cerevisiae_, holds such as _Rhizopus_ spp. and _Penicillium_ spp., and toxigenic fungi like _Aspergillus_ spp. In tropical regions, the contamination of fermented vegetable foods by these microorganisms has been primarily linked to poor handling and production practices, in addition to the influence of the native microbiota involved in the fermentation process [365]. Furthermore, several outbreaks associated with the consumption of kimchi contaminated by pathogens such as _Listeria_, _E.