Microbial cultures

There are also useful and harmless microorganisms in food, known as "microbial cultures" or "bacterial cultures and the cultures of yeast and mould."

Some foods are intentionally added microbial cultures to promote some special properties. The cultures can be added for a technological purpose, for example to acidify the milk, so that it becomes yogurt, or to affect the consistency of the various dairy products so as to obtain a good mouth feel. Microbial cultures can also be used to influence flavour development in cheeses such as Brie, Danablu, Jarlsberg, Havarti, etc.

Microbial cultures are also used in the production of wine, bread, fermented vegetables and meat to preserve, affect the flavour, acidify, etc. Cultures may also be used in food supplements.

List of notified microbial cultures

There are no requirements for the notification of microbial cultures, but the Food Authority has an official list of the microbial cultures that companies have voluntarily notified. The Veterinary and Food Administration does not have an approval procedure for the notified cultures.

See the list of notified cultures.