MICROBIOLOGY OF FERMENTED FOODS. Diversity of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Chinese Traditional Fermented Foods. Tailor-Made Starter Cultures for Preserving the Uniqueness of Traditional Cheeses. Starter and Adjunct Microbial Cultures Used in the Manufacture of Fermented and/or Cured or Ripened Meat and Dairy Products. Microbiological and Biochemical Characteristics of Spanish Fermented Sausages. Exploring Phage Ecology, Genetics, and Impact in Food Fermentations. Functional Fermented Whey Foods: Their Role in Human Health. Overview of the Functional Lactic Acid Bacteria in Fermented Milk Products. Significance of Biogenic Amines in Fermented Foods and Methods of Their Control. FUNCTIONAL FOODS: PROBIOTICS, PREBIOTICS, AND SYNBIOTICS. Probiotics in Health and Diseases. Probiotics and Prebiotics in Fruits and Vegetables: Technological and Sensory Aspects. Research and Development of Probiotic Products from Vegetable Bases: A New Alternative for Consuming Functional Food. Probiotic Bacteria in Functional Meat Products. Use of Encapsulation Technology for Improving the Viability of Probiotics. Microencapsulating Bioactives for Food. Use of High-Pressure Homogenization for Improving the Quality and Functionality of Probiotics. Role of Bifidobacteria in the Production of Bioactive Compounds and Detoxification of Harmful Compounds. Intestinal Microbiota as a Source of Probiotic Bifidobacterium Strains: Challenges and Opportunities for the Development of Functional Foods. Gastroprotective Effects of Bifidobacterium bifidum BF-1 and B. bifidum Strain Yakult. Bacillus Probiotics and Biologicals for Improving Animal and Human Health: Current Applications and Future Prospects. HEALTH BENEFITS OF PROBIOTICS AND FUNCTIONAL FOODS. Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics for Gut Health Benefits. Probiotics: Interactions with Gut Microbiota and Emerging Trends. Health Benefits of Symbiotic Functional Food Products. Modulation of Gut Microflora in the Prev