Grobben et al. (1996) showed that in continuous culture, when the Lb. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus NCFB 2772 strain is grown on lactose, the amount and sugar composition of the HePS produced is comparable with the values for glucose-grown cultures, i.e. galactose, glucose, and rhamnose in a ratio of 6.8 : 1.0 : 0.7. When grown with fructose as the carbohydrate source, the amount of the HePS produced is substantially lower and the HePS are different in composition, being composed of galactose and glucose in the ratio 2.5 : 1.0. No rhamnose residues were detected in these HePS.