Abstract:
In industrial fermented products, Lactic Acid Producing Bacteria (LAB) are used as starter cultures in products like
yoghurt. For most of these communities fresh and fermented milk is a staple part of their diet. Kenyan communities
such as the Maasai and Kalenjin ferment their milk adding different substances which differ between communities. This
study aimed at isolating and characterizing LAB found in traditionally fermented milk from communities around Kenya
and to identify similarities with artificially-added LAB. Different methods were used to identify lactic acid producing
probiotic bacteria in fermented milk including gram staining, catalase tests, sodium chloride tolerance test. Strains of
LAB isolated were from Family Lactobacilli and Family Streptococci. The quantity differed between communities with
lactobacilli being the dominant isolate from the Maasai culture and streptococci being more dominant in the Kalenjin
isolate. This proved that traditionally fermented milk offers a wider range of LAB than industrial starter cultures.
