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RESEARCH PRODUCT

New Trends in Molecular Techniques to Identify Microorganisms in Dairy Products

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International audience; Dairy products constitute one of the most important types of functional foods. Most of these functional properties have been attributed to their complex microbial ecosystem. Moreover, microorganisms are responsible for the broad diversity of tastes, aromas, and textures of dairy products. For instance, many bacteria make a positive contribution to the organoleptic quality of cheeses or fermented milk. However, some other bacteria may have adverse effects, or may even present a health risk from a safety point of view. Thus, it is of a paramount importance to control microbial ecosystem of dairy products. Traditionally culture-based methods have been used for the identification of microbial communities in dairy products. However, these assays can be used only for organisms that can be cultivated in vitro. In addition, there are some strains with unique biochemical characteristics and it is not possible to fit them into patterns for any characteristic genus and species already known. Limitations associated with these techniques have led to develop new molecular techniques, which are primarily based on the analysis of nucleic acids. Indeed, molecular techniques have been shown as a tool that can avoid the main limitations of conventional phenotypic procedures for the identification of microorganisms. Among the many molecular techniques, real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and microarrays have emerged as the most commonly used methods. This chapter describes the benefits and limitations of molecular techniques in the identification of microorganisms in dairy products. Moreover, the potential applications of these techniques will be also discussed.