Ayran starter culture is a microbial starter mixture developed by selecting natural lactic acid bacteria isolated from different regions of Turkey and adapting them to industrial conditions.
The culture was created by combining Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strains in optimized ratios. Genetic stability, acid production capacity, flavor profile and resistance parameters of the selected strains were evaluated and a high performance and standard culture was obtained.

The developed culture preserves the characteristic taste and consistency of traditional sour village yogurt and buttermilk and is fully compatible with modern industrial production processes. The fermentation kinetics of the culture were tested under different milk sources and process conditions, and clot formation and stable acidity profile were achieved in a short time.