A Comparison between Different Methods for the Preservation of Lactic Acid Bacteria for Usage as a Starter Culture

Introduction: Single or multiple strains of mesophilic and thermophilic lactic acid bacteria are used as starter cultures in food industries to produce different types of fermented products. Preservation of these starter cultures is a crucial step in which the highest viability and genetic stability of the starter culture should be retained. Traditional methods for the preservation of starter cultures were mainly based on the freezing method. Nowadays, the usual method for the preservation of starter cultures is drying which mostly included spray drying and freeze-drying.Materials and Methods: In this narrative review of studies, a comprehensive review is conducted on all methods for the preservation of lactic acid bacteria through searches in databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, Pubmed, and other valid databases. After a glance at the types of preservation methods, advantages and disadvantages are compared and solutions to overcome the problem of survival have been introduced.Discussion and Conclusion: Comparisons of the preservation methods from different points of view in the present overview may help to design more effective research projects or production processes in this area.