Several strains of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, which produced exocellular polysaccharides (EPS), varied in the amount produced. The streptococci tended to produce the most EPS per milliliter of culture; however, when compared on the basis of amounts per 10(7) cfu, the lactobacilli produced the most. Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus strains Lb-18 and Lb-10442 and S. thermophilus St-143 produced significantly larger amounts per 107 cfu than did other strains tested. These three cultures plus two strains of the streptococci that produced the greatest amounts of EPS per ml of culture were tested for the ability to bind bile acids from laboratory media. The two cultures of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus (Lb-18 and Lb-10442) bound significantly higher amounts of cholic acid than did the three strains of streptococci. These two cultures of lactobacilli bound up to 15.3% of the cholic acid present in laboratory media, up to 452 microg/mg of EPS and 2.9 microg/10(7) cfu. None of the cultures tested in this study were able to bind the conjugated bile acid, glycocholic acid.