Molecular analysis of bacterial population structure and dynamics during cold storage of untreated and treated milk.

Spoilage bacteria in milk are controlled by treatments such as thermization, microfiltration and addition of carbon dioxide. However, little information is known about the changes in microbial communities during subsequent cold storage of treated milk. Culture-dependent methods and a direct molecular approach combining 16S rRNA gene clone libraries and quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) were applied to obtain a better overview of the structure and the dynamics of milk microbiota.