Lactic acid bacteria: genetics, metabolism and applications

Abstract

Foods fermented with Lactic Acid Bacteria are an important part of the human diet. Lactic Acid Bacteria play an essential role in the preservation of foods and contribute to the nutritional, sensoric and health properties of food products and animal feed. The importance of Lactic Acid Bacteria in the production of foods throughout the world has resulted in a continued scientific interest over the last two decades in these micro-organisms by academic research groups as well as by industry. This research has resulted in a number of important scientific breakthroughs and has led to new applications. The most recent of these advances is the establishment of the complete genome sequences of a number of different Lactic Acid Bacterial species.