Abstract: Process for producing an ambient storage food product comprising providing a food product with a pH of between 3.4 and 4.4, subjecting the food product to a heat treatment to obtain a heat treated food product, adding aseptically to the heat treated food product one or more of ambient storage lactic acid bacteria strains to obtain an ambient storage food product, and storing the ambient storage food product at ambient temperature for a period of time, wherein the ambient storage lactic acid bacteria strain is selected from the group consisting of strains, (i) wherein the strain is capable of retaining viability at the end of 150 days at a temperature of 25#C, and (ii) wherein the pH at most decreases 0.8 units during the storage period, and (iii) wherein the strain is selected from the group consisting of Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, and mutants and variants thereof.