Characterization of bacteriocinogenic strains of lactic acid bacteria from traditional Slovenian cheese ‘Tolminc’

Artisanal cheese and other dairy products are traditionally produced from raw milk. The chemical and microbiological properties of milk are besides technological procedure among the most important parameters that determine the final characteristics of a product. Majority of microbes present in the rich microbiota of raw milk are considered beneficial but we should also be aware of a possibility that certain microbes that came from milk to the final product can present a health risk for the consumer (Habeš, 2002). To minimize this risk, a number of different selected starter or protective cultures are being used (Šušković et al., 2010). The use of selected cultures is not desired in traditional cheese production since it can change the microbial comSummary