ShawB. G.&HardingCharmaigneD. 1984. A numerical taxonomic study of lactic acid bacteria from vacuum packed beef, pork, lamb and bacon.Journal of Applied Bacteriology56, 25–40.A numerical taxonomic study using 79 unit characters has been performed on 100 isolates of lactic acid bacteria from refrigerated vacuum‐packed beef, pork, lamb and bacon. Three clusters were observed at 78% S which contained all the strains apart from three unidentifiable streptobacteria, oneLeuconostoc, and one strain ofPediococcus pentosaceus. One cluster (III) consisted of only one strain ofLeuc. paramesenteroidesand six unidentifiable Leuconostoc strains. The two largest clusters (I and II) were both composed entirely of streptobacteria. Cluster I contained 31 strains (G + C content 33–2–36–9 moles %) which were not identifiable with any described species. Cluster II contained 57 strains (G + C content 40–7–43–7 moles %) which were provisionally identified withLactobacillus sake or Lact. bavaricusaccording to the lactic acid isomer produced. The division of nearly all the streptobacteria into two clearly defined clusters has resolved problems which have existed in the classification of lactic acid bacteria from vac