@book{3221134, title = "Microbial Flora", author = "Tsakalidou, E.", publisher = "Taylor & Francis (CRC Press)", year = "2009", isbn = "9781420046328; 9781420046311", doi = "10.1201/9781420046328-39", abstract = "The production of fermented dairy products, such as cheese, yogurt, and fermented milks is one of the oldest methods practiced by man for the preservation of a highly perishable and nutritional foodstuff like milk. The first fermented dairy products were produced by an accidental combination of events. Th e ability of a group of bacteria, now known as lactic acid bacteria (LAB), to grow in milk and produce enough acid to reduce the pH of milk, caused the coagulation of proteins, thus fermenting the milk. An alternative mechanism was also recognized from an early date, in which the proteolytic enzymes were observed to modify the milk proteins, causing them to coagulate under certain circumstances. © 2010 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC." }