Fifteen media were evaluated to determine their suitability for selective enumeration of Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and bifidobacteria using 5 to 6 strains of each of the four groups of organisms. Streptococcus thermophilus agar was found to be suitable for selective enumeration of S. thermophilus under aerobic incubation at 37 degrees C for 24 h. The MRS agar at pH 5.2 or reinforced clostridial agar at pH 5.3 could be used for the selective enumeration of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus when the incubation was carried out at 45 degrees C for > or = 72 h. However, the recovery of this organism was lower on MRS agar at pH 5.2 or reinforced clostridial agar at pH 5.3 than that obtained on MRS agar. The recovery of L. acidophilus and bifidobacteria on MRS agar and MRS-maltose agar was similar; MRS-maltose agar could be used to enumerate total counts of L. acidophilus and bifidobacteria. For selective enumeration of L. acidophilus, MRS-salicin agar or MRS-sorbitol agar could be used. For selective enumeration of bifidobacteria, MRS NNLP (nalidixic acid, neomycin sulfate, lithium chloride, and paromomycin sulfate) agar was suitable; however, determination of bifidobacteria by differential counts between L. acidophilus enumerated on MRS-salicin agar or MRS-sorbitol agar and the total counts of L. acidophilus and bifidobacteria obtained from MRS-maltose agar resulted in higher recovery of some strains of bifidobacteria. Other media that were evaluated in this study were not suitable for selective enumeration.