Outgrowth of spoilage yeasts and moulds and post-processing acidification can limit the shelf-life of some fermented dairy products including fresh lactic curd cheeses. The possibility of using high pressure processing (HPP) for controlling these problems was investigated in a commercially manufactured fresh lactic curd cheese (pH 4.3-4.4) and fermented milk models (pH 4.3-6.5). The effects of HPP at 300 and 600 MPa on inactivation of glycolytic enzymes of lactic acid bacteria were also evaluated. Fresh cheeses made from pasteurised bovine milk using a commercial Lactococcus starter preparation were treated with high pressures ranging from 200 to 600 MPa (less than or equal to 22°C, 5 min) under vacuum packaging conditions and subsequently stored at 4°C for 8 weeks. Treatment at greater than or equal to 300 MPa substantially reduced the viable count of Lactococcus and effectively prevented the outgrowth of yeasts and moulds for 6 to 8 weeks without adversely affecting the sensory and textural attributes of the product. However, it had no significant effects (p less than 0.01) on variation of titratable acidity during storage. Fermented milk models were prepared by individually growing Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis C10, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris BK5, Streptococcus thermophilus TS1, Lactobacillus acidophilus 2400 and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus 2517 in UHT skim milk and diluting the resulting fermented milk with UHT skim milk up to pH 6.5. Pressure treatment of the milk models at pH 5.2 resulted in substantial inhibition of post-processing acidification during storage and markedly reduced the viable count of Lactococcus at both 300 and 600 MPa and other bacteria only at 600 MPa. Treatment of the milk model at 600 MPa decreased the viable counts of Candida zeylanoides and Candida lipolytica (wildtype spoilage yeasts of lactic curd cheese, added as challenge cultures) from 105 CFU mL-1 to below the detection limit (log 0 CFU mL-1) at all pH levels tested (pH 4.3-6.5) and effectively controlled their outgrowth for 8 weeks. Treatment of milk model at 300 MPa had a similar effect only on C. zeylanoides. The viable count of C. lipolytica was reduced by 2.6, 2.4 and 2.3 logs by treatment at 300 MPa at pH levels of 4.3, 5.2 and 6.5, respectively, which subsequently recovered by 2.9, 2.8 and 3.2 logs within 3 weeks. Glycolytic enzymes of various starter bacteria showed different responses to pressure treatment. The lactate dehydrogenase in L. lactis subsp. lactis and Lb. acidophilus was quite resistant to pressures up to 600 MPa, but it was almost completely inactivated in S. thermophilus at pressure levels as low as 300 MPa. The â-galactosidase in Lb. acidophilus was more pressure stable than â-galactosidase in S. thermophilus and Phospho-â-galactosidase in L. lactis subsp. lactis. The findings of this study suggests HPP at 300-600 MPa as an effective method for controlling the outgrowth of some spoilage yeasts and moulds in fresh lactic curd cheeses. The results obtained with selected lactic acid bacteria in fermented milk models can be used to assist in establishing HPP operating parameters for development of new generation cultured dairy products, of reduced acidity and extended shelf-life.