Spontaneous fermentation constitutes the basis of the chief natural method of processing of table olives, where autochthonous strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a dominant role. A thorough literature search has unfolded 197 reports worldwide, published in the last two decades, that indicate an increasing interest in table olive-borne LAB, especially in Mediterranean countries. This review attempted to extract extra information from such a large body of work, namely, in terms of correlations between LAB strains isolated, manufacture processes, olive types, and geographical regions. Spain produces mostly green olives by Spanish-style treatment, whereas Italy and Greece produce mainly green and black olives, respectively, by both natural and Spanish-style. More than 40 species belonging to nine genera of LAB have been described; the genus most often cited is Lactobacillus, with L. plantarum and L. pentosus as most frequent species-irrespective of country, processing method, or olive type. Certain LAB species are typically associated with cultivar, e.g., Lactobacillus parafarraginis with Spanish Manzanilla, or L. paraplantarum with Greek Kalamata and Conservolea, Portuguese Galega, and Italian Tonda di Cagliari. Despite the potential of native LAB to serve as starter cultures, extensive research and development efforts are still needed before this becomes a commercial reality in table olive fermentation.
Keywords: Enterococcus; Lactobacillus; Leuconostoc; Mediterranean diet; Pediococcus; olive cultivar; processing method/trade; starter culture.