Recent advances in Pickering emulsions for inhibiting foodborne bacteria

Abstract

Foodborne bacteria pose significant risks to public health and economic conditions. Natural antibacterial agents have proven effective against foodborne bacterial contamination but often suffer from harsh environmental and processing conditions. Pickering emulsions, recognized for good stability, high loading capacity, sustained release, cost-effectiveness, low toxicity, biocompatibility, and sustainability, have emerged as efficient carriers for natural antibacterial agents and shown great promise in preserving fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, and other foods by either direct coating or incorporation in active packaging films. With the growing interest in Pickering emulsions loaded with natural antibacterial agents, in this review, we highlight recent advances in their applications for inhibiting foodborne bacteria. The mostly investigated foodborne bacteria and the compositions and antibacterial mechanisms of natural antibacterial agents loaded Pickering emulsions are summarized, and food-related applications are spotlighted. Despite challenges, such as scalability and regulatory approval, antibacterial Pickering emulsions show great potential as sustainable preservatives for food preservation.