Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were enumerated with MRS (De Man, Rogosa, Sharpe) agar (Oxoid, Belgium), containing
1.4 g/L sorbic acid and with a final pH of 5.7, adjusted with NaOH (1 mol/L), using the pouring plate method with an additional cover layer of agar (incubation at 22 C, 5 days).