The term is used in two ways: for members of the bacterial genus Enterococcus, and loosely for streptococcal bacteria living in the human gut, including Enterococcus and Streptococcus species. They occur in fermented foods and are used as faecal indicators in water testing. Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium dominate the group; they tolerate salt, heat and a wide pH range, surviving pasteurisation temperatures that kill most vegetative bacteria. In artisanal cheeses they contribute to ripening flavour, but vancomycin-resistant strains and their role as indicators of faecal contamination keep them under scrutiny.