Safety assessment of dairy microorganisms: Bacterial taxonomy

Safety assessment requires uniform and reproducible nomenclature schemes for all the micro-organisms deliberately added in fermented food products. The QPS approach described by EFSA is based on the identity of an isolate at the highest taxonomic unit that is appropriate for the purpose for which the evaluation is intended. This depends upon the body of knowledge available for the micro-organism to be assessed and upon the nature of the micro-organism being assessed. Species identification is the fundamental unit of biological classification and is critical for describing, understanding and comparing biological diversities at different levels among ecological niches. Accurate taxonomic identification of a micro-organism is essential for assessing safety assessment, and this section describes current and advanced knowledge on bacterial taxonomy.