ABSTRACT
Starter cultures or just starters are cultures of microorganisms that are used in the production of foods in order to speed-up the fermentative processes and to provide specific features in a certain environment with a predictable pathway in comparison with spontaneous fermentation. Cheese starters can also be differentiated in primary and secondary starters. Although at the moment a large variety of lactic starter cultures are commercially available, food microbiologists and biotechnologists continue to develop lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains with improved properties. The capacity to accomplish sharpness genome engineering in LAB strains important for medicine or food industry will allow to increase the genetic and physiological potential of strains without compromising safety. Lactobacillus buchneri is a relevant strain of acid- and halo-tolerant LAB with importance for ensilage, the fermentation of grains into animal fodder, for ethanol production and for fermentation of vegetables. The chapter focuses on new approaches that might be employed to prevent phage infection of LAB.
