Advances in starter culture technology: Focus on drying processes

As starter cultures are distributed worldwide by specialized suppliers, long-term stabilization becomes more important. Therefore the trend goes from liquid and frozen to dried cultures. Freeze drying is the standard process to produce dried starter cultures; however, alternative, more energy-efficient drying technologies are becoming more important. This chapter discusses the characteristics and suitability of different drying technologies for the production of starter cultures and their impact on product quality and handling. The impact of the fermentation process and the drying matrix is also reviewed.