The properties and quality of every food strongly depend on its microbial flora. Recent studies in microbiology have proved, the microbial flora of foods is not just a random set of species. Every different type of products is a unique microecological niche, with a specific microbiota. Culture-independent techniques in food microbial ecology, affirm the consideration of microbial populations as consortia. These microbial communities are an object of specific scientific interest, at least in three different patterns.
The most obvious and studied one is the symbiosis and other internal interactions, between different species, of the same starter culture. A widely known type of such an internal interaction is the protocooperation between Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, in yoghurt manufacturing. No less important is the content of the accompanying microflora that is considered in our study. Less...