A process for the preparation of shelf stable probiotic curd

The invention gives a process for the preparation of shelf-stable probiotic curd using a locally isolated strain of Pediococcus pentosaceus. This has been deposited at Microbial type culture collection center, Chandigarh with an Accession No. MTCC 5151. The probiotic culture has shown a good shelf-life till 21 days where it maintains the viable cell count as prescribed by WHO. The culture has antimicrobial activity against the toxic food-pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus and has probiotic properties like resistance to low acid and high bile salt mix. This makes the probiotic curd a novel healthful food product for societal benefit.