Improvement of textural properties of fermented milk by using streptococcus thermophilus strains

Abstract

Monitoring of pure cultures of Streptococcus thermophilus strains from Branch Collection of industrial lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was made in the Laboratory of Food Biotechnology. LAB are useful in the food industry for their contribution to the organoleptic properties of the final fermented food. Extracellularly secreted sugar polymers, or EPS, are partly responsible for this. In general, the food industry is particularly interested in natural viscosifiers and texture enhancers, so-called biothickeners. EPS production is an important feature of Streptococcus thermophilus characterization in forming starter cultures for fermented milk products with suitable texture and specific rheology.