**10. Identification of LAB**

Identification of meat associated LAB is still wideley performed with phenotypic methods only, e.g API 50 CH [73]. These are, however, not always satisfying and may lead to misidentifications [74]. Nowadays, the application of PCR-DGGE and 16S rRNA gene sequencing allow the identification of a large number of strains in a quick and fast way [21,75]. Also various genomic fingerprinting methods are available. Nevertheless, conventional approaches remain important, especially when dealing with previously unknown species. Modern identification procedures rely on polyphasic approaches, integrating several lines of evidence to obtain a comprehensive description of a new species or of a microbiota [76].
