Microorganisms are traditionally used to carry out fermentation processes. For thousands of years, mankind has used them in the processing of fish, meat, and vegetables, as well as to make food products such as bread, beer, wine, vinegar, yoghurt, and cheese. Fermentation is, thus,  one of the oldest food processing transformation and conservation techniques. This biological process not only improves the nutritional and organoleptic qualities of the food (taste, appearance, smell, texture), but adding microorganisms will, also, favor desirable flora, to the detriment of undesirable flora, thereby preventing spoilage, inhibiting pathogens, and  increasing safety. The goal of this roundtable is to gather all major stakeholders involved in food safety, including  manufacturers, food authorities, scientists, ingredient suppliers, retailers, etc. and to discuss the concept of bioprotection through the use of starter cultures in ready-to-eat (RTE) food (smoked salmon, meat, salad, etc.).  Advantages (inhibition of pathogenic bacteria, clean labelling, etc.), hurdles (regulation, labelling), and new scientific insights will be discussed. Recent studies have demonstrated the strong efficiency of lactic acid bacteria to inhibit the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, while not modifying the sensory attributes of senstive foods as diverse as cooked ham, lettuce, and smoked salmon; i.e., food that are not traditionally considered as fermented food. The goal of this session is to share the lastest scientific results dealing with bioprotection of food and to present examples of RTE food, already available on the market, that contain bioprotective cultures.  Safety of protective cultures, labelling rules, and consumer acceptance will, also, be discussed.