[3] It is the only family in the lactic acid bacteria which includes homofermentative and heterofermentative organisms;[4] in the Lactobacillaceae, the pathway used for hexose fermentation is a genus-specific trait.

Lactobacillaceae include the homofermentative lactobacilli Lactobacillus, Holzapfelia, Amylolactobacillus, Bombilactobacillus, Companilactobacillus, Lapidilactobacillus, Agrilactobacillus, Schleiferilactobacillus, Loigolactobacillus, Lacticaseibacillus, Latilactobacillus, Dellaglioa, Liquorilactobacillus, Ligilactobacillus, and Lactiplantibacillus; the heterofermentative lactobacilli Furfurilactobacillus, Paucilactobacillus, Limosilactobacillus, Fructilactobacillus, Acetilactobacillus, Apilactobacillus, Levilactobacillus, Secundilactobacillus, and Lentilactobacillus, which were previously classified in the genus Lactobacillus; and the heterofermentative genera Convivina, Fructobacillus, Leuconostoc, Oenococcus, and Weissella which were previously classified in the Leuconostocaceae.

[5][6] With the exception of Lactococcus lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus and Tetragenococcus halophilus, most food fermenting lactic acid bacteria are now classified in the Lactobacillaceae.

[2][7][8] The grandfathered term lactobacilli refers to all bacteria classified in Lactobacillaceae prior to 2020, i.e. Lactobacillus sensu lato (pre-split), Pediococcus, and Sharpea.

[2] Loigolactobacillus Paralactobacillus Latilactobacillus Lacticaseibacillus Schleiferilactobacillus Agrilactobacillus Lapidilactobacillus Bombilactobacillus Companilactobacillus Holzapfelia Lactobacillus Amylolactobacillus Dellaglioa Ligilactobacillus Liquorilactobacillus Pediococcus Furfurilactobacillus Limosilactobacillus Paucilactobacillus Lactiplantibacillus Levilactobacillus Secundilactobacillus Lentilactobacillus Fructilactobacillus Apilactobacillus Acetilactobacillus Weissella Oenococcus Leuconostoc Fructobacillus Convivina Enterococcaceae