Molecular identification and characterization of food-associated lactobacilli

Lactobacilli are of great commercial value because they are widely used in fermented foods as probiotics or starter cultures. Traditional methods of b acterial enumeration, identification, and characterisation are often insuff icient for monitoring specific strains in complex, mixed-strain microbial c onsortia of lactobacilli. In the past few years, due to the use of molecula r methods, knowledge about the microbial diversity of the genus Lactobacill us has dramatically increased. The molecular techniques described in this r eview can enhance the development of taxonomy and molecular microbial ecolo gy of lactobacilli by providing ways of characterising mixed microbial comm unities of this industrially important group of microorganisms.