Liquid starter cultures having improved storage stability and use thereof

A method of preparing a stabilized liquid starter culture, the method comprising adding to a liquid starter culture 0.1 to 8% by weight of at least one compound that has a stabilizing effect on at least one metabolic activity of the liquid starter culture, said at least one compound being selected from the group consisting of formic acid, a formate, and a derivative of any of said at least one compound, so that, during storage of the liquid starter culture in liquid starter at a temperature in the range of −20° C. to 10° C. for 1 week or more, at least 50% of at least one initial metabolic activity of the liquid starter culture is retained, said at least one metabolic activity comprising at least one of oxygen removal activity, acid producing activity and metabolite producing activity, and packaging the thus obtained stabilized liquid starter culture in a commercial packaging for distributing the culture to a site of production.

A liquid starter culture comprising 0.1 to 8% by weight of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of formic acid, a formate, and a derivative of any of such at least one compound.