Biopreservative technologies of food: an alternative to chemical preservation and recent developments

Abstract

Despite centuries of developing strategies to prevent food-associated illnesses, food safety remains a significant concern, even with multiple technological advancements. Consumers increasingly seek less processed and naturally preserved food options. One promising approach is food biopreservation, which uses natural antimicrobials found in food with a long history of safe consumption and can help reduce the reliance on chemically synthesized food preservatives. The hurdle technology method that combines multiple antimicrobial strategies is often used to improve the effectiveness of food biopreservation. This review attempts to provide a research summary on the utilization of lactic acid bacteria, bacteriocins, endolysins, bacteriophages, and biopolymers helps in the improvement of the shelf-life of food and lower the risk of food-borne pathogens throughout the food supply chain. This review also aims to evaluate current technologies that successfully employ the aforementioned preservatives to address obstacles in food biopreservation.