Nitrous acid was used to modify traditional de Man, Rogosa, Sharpe medium to test our hypothesis that addition of sodium nitrite to MRS medium would improve the growth rate and density of various lactic acid bacteria while preventing the same of nontarget species. Yogurt, cheese, and sauerkraut were inoculated with individual bacterial species (Bifidobacterium longum, Streptococcus salivarius, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Enterococcus faecalis and Bacillus cereus) followed by recovery and enumeration of each to compare the sensitivity between nitrous acid modified MRS (mMRS) and traditional MRS. Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus were recovered at significantly (P < 0.05) higher counts from cheese in nitrous acid mMRS than MRS while there was no significant difference for other species and food systems between the 2 media formulatons. To augment overall comparative recovery of species on the 2 media types, the rate of growth of each lactic acid bacterial species in MRS vs. mMRS broth was also measured. Growth curves were generated for the lactic acid bacteria as well as nonstarters in both mMRS and MRS to measure the selectivity of nitrous acid mMRS. Three of the tested bacterial species (Bifidobacterium longum, Streptococcus salivarius, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus) grew to significantly higher (P < 0.05) densities more rapidly in mMRS broth than in traditional MRS during an 18h incubation regimen. Conversely, 2 nontarget low G+C bacteria genotypically and phenotypically similar to some lactic acid bacteria, Enterococcus faecalis and Bacillus cereus, demonstrated a more prolific growth rate and significantly (P < 0.05) higher OD readings in traditional MRS (15–30% higher density by 18h) compared with mMRS, to validate that these nontarget species would be less competitive in the improved mMRS formulation. It was determined that nitrous acid mMRS is a viable alternative medium for culturing selected lactic acid bacteria, and offers an improved formulation of MRS for use in standard methods evaluation and optimization of lactic acid bacteria in dairy and possibly other food-grade GRAS cultures.