The development of new techniques for the control of pathogenic microorganisms during food production and for the prevention of spoilage are needed to reduce or replace chemical preservatives. This is due to the trend that consumers are increasingly questioning the use of chemical preservatives because of the many health concerns. Because of this issue, bacteriocins and bacteriophages are increasingly viewed as safe natural preservatives with a long history of various applications during food production and preservation. This minireview considers applications of these two antimicrobials, highlights their mode of action, lists their advantages and, when necessary, their limitations. It also reports recent advances in the use of bacteriophages and bacteriocins either alone or in combination in different food matrices. The incentives and effectiveness offered by these antimicrobials in the field of biopreservation are considered for future applications during food production and preservation.
Foodborne pathogens are responsible for many diseases worldwide. Their presence and persistence in the production environment of the food industry are most often associated with inappropriate disinfection procedures or failure to follow hygiene regulations, making them potentially problematic in this sector [
1]. Despite the effectiveness of chemical and physical cleaning techniques, bacteria can evade adverse conditions and persist due to their ability to organize themselves into a multispecies biofilm. This structure is mainly composed of bacterial polymeric extracellular matrix, exopolysaccharides (EPS) and DNA, which enables multispecies bacterial biofilms to withstand harsh conditions. In addition, physical and chemical treatments are not always effective in eliminating biofilms, resulting in potential contamination and alteration of food products, compromising food health and safety [
2].
There is growing consumer concern about the adverse effects of treating food with potentially harmful chemicals. This ever-increasing trend has led to a heightened awareness of foods prepared and served with natural ingredients [
3]. In this light, bacteriophages, which are bacteria-infecting viruses, and bacteriocins, which are ribosomally produced antimicrobial peptides, could serve as a means to reduce foodborne and spoilage bacteria, as a potential alternative to chemical additives [
4,
5]. This brief review describes what bacteriocins and phages are and then focuses on their potential applications in the food production and preservation sector.
This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/encyclopedia4010007
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