Despite the development of prevention and control measures to improve food safety in the past decades, foodborne diseases continue to be one of the major public health concerns causing considerable economic losses worldwide. Furthermore, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, consumers’ awareness of food ingredients and increased consumption of raw or minimally processed foods highlight the need for clean label approaches as shields against foodborne pathogens. Such clean label approaches may include naturally-derived preservation and intervention strategies. For example, naturally occurring antimicrobial compounds that are produced and/or isolated from plants, animals, and microorganisms and protective cultures could be applied as food preservatives or intervention treatments to conserve food safety and extend the shelf life. Recently, researchers have focused on the use of novel technologies in combination with these naturally-derived strategies to enhance their effectiveness, thereby providing environmentally-friendly applications that enhance food safety.
Previously, extensive works have been conducted to study the antimicrobial activities of naturally-derived antimicrobials against spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. The involvement of novel technologies with naturally-derived antimicrobials could potentially enhance their applicability and effectiveness in various food systems. For example, nanotechnology has been suggested to be a promising strategy to enhance the water solubility of oil-based antimicrobials, allowing them to be used in a broader range of applications. Further, novel protective cultures such as lactic acid bacteria and bacteriophages could be environmentally-friendly approaches to control foodborne pathogens. The packaging technology sector is also looking with growing interest at environmental sustainability, introducing recyclable and/or biodegradable materials in combination with naturally-derived antimicrobial compounds. This Research Topic will focus on reports investigating the applications of novel and clean-label approaches as preventative applications or antimicrobial treatments in food systems.
This Research Topic aims to explore new strategies and/or technologies that incorporate clean-label approaches for controlling foodborne pathogens in food systems. We invite submissions of both original research papers and review articles focusing on the development and evaluation of novel clean-label strategies for preventing and inhibiting the contamination of foodborne pathogens and microbial toxins in various food related applications. In addition, reports that investigate the mechanisms of actions of these novel approaches and factors affecting their antimicrobial activities in foods are also welcomed.
This Research Topic welcomes manuscript on the following themes(but is not limited to):
- Biocontrol agents
- Antimicrobial metals
- Antimicrobial peptides
- Nano- and microbubbles
- Novel packaging technology
- Nanostructured films and coating
- Nanotechnology with natural antimicrobials
- Combination of natural approaches with existing disinfection systems
Despite the development of prevention and control measures to improve food safety in the past decades, foodborne diseases continue to be one of the major public health concerns causing considerable economic losses worldwide. Furthermore, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, consumers’ awareness of food ingredients and increased consumption of raw or minimally processed foods highlight the need for clean label approaches as shields against foodborne pathogens. Such clean label approaches may include naturally-derived preservation and intervention strategies. For example, naturally occurring antimicrobial compounds that are produced and/or isolated from plants, animals, and microorganisms and protective cultures could be applied as food preservatives or intervention treatments to conserve food safety and extend the shelf life. Recently, researchers have focused on the use of novel technologies in combination with these naturally-derived strategies to enhance their effectiveness, thereby providing environmentally-friendly applications that enhance food safety.
Previously, extensive works have been conducted to study the antimicrobial activities of naturally-derived antimicrobials against spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. The involvement of novel technologies with naturally-derived antimicrobials could potentially enhance their applicability and effectiveness in various food systems. For example, nanotechnology has been suggested to be a promising strategy to enhance the water solubility of oil-based antimicrobials, allowing them to be used in a broader range of applications. Further, novel protective cultures such as lactic acid bacteria and bacteriophages could be environmentally-friendly approaches to control foodborne pathogens. The packaging technology sector is also looking with growing interest at environmental sustainability, introducing recyclable and/or biodegradable materials in combination with naturally-derived antimicrobial compounds. This Research Topic will focus on reports investigating the applications of novel and clean-label approaches as preventative applications or antimicrobial treatments in food systems.
This Research Topic aims to explore new strategies and/or technologies that incorporate clean-label approaches for controlling foodborne pathogens in food systems. We invite submissions of both original research papers and review articles focusing on the development and evaluation of novel clean-label strategies for preventing and inhibiting the contamination of foodborne pathogens and microbial toxins in various food related applications. In addition, reports that investigate the mechanisms of actions of these novel approaches and factors affecting their antimicrobial activities in foods are also welcomed.
This Research Topic welcomes manuscript on the following themes(but is not limited to):
- Biocontrol agents
- Antimicrobial metals
- Antimicrobial peptides
- Nano- and microbubbles
- Novel packaging technology
- Nanostructured films and coating
- Nanotechnology with natural antimicrobials
- Combination of natural approaches with existing disinfection systems