The Invisible Risk Threatening Lactic Cultures
20 Jul 2026
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria. In the dairy industry, they represent a major challenge as they can attack the lactic cultures essential for the production of products such as cheese, yogurt, and fermented milk. Often undetected until the first signs of process failure appear, they can disrupt fermentation processes and affect the quality of finished products. The consequences of contamination can be significant.