The objective of this research was to determine the ability of some selected lactic acid bacteria to survive in a model gastric juice and in a culture broth. Moreover, their cholesterol binding ability under those conditions was investigated. For the purpose of comparing, the viability of lactobacilli contained obtained from a ‘Nutriplant’ pharmaceutical preparation was examined. It was proved that the probiotic strains (obtained from the starter cultures: BA, LA-5, Nutriplant pharmaceutical preparation, and lactobacilli & bifidobacteria from ABT-2) had better viability in the model gastric juice, and they bound more cholesterol under those conditions than the traditional starters (present in the starter cultures such as: Culture de yoghurt concentree Type 1, CHN 19, TAO 40, O-Culture R-603, and streptococci from ABT-2). In the model gastric juice, the highest amount of cholesterol was biding by bacteria from the starter cultures of LA-5 (0.11 g/dm³), BA (0.07 g/dm³), ABT-2 (0.03 g/dm³ in the case of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, and 0.02 g/dm³ in the case of streptococci), as well as by bacteria from the Nutriplant pharmaceutical preparation (0.03 g/dm³). Others starter cultures assimilated only very slight amounts of cholesterol (0.002-0.007 g/dm³). The cholesterol binding was better in the MRS or M17 broth than in the model gastric juice.