Food deterioration, or the loss of quality and safety of food and beverage products, is affected by a wide range of mechanisms, including physical, chemical, and biological factors. Of all types of food deterioration, microbial food spoilage and poisoning are the most important issues due to their major and long-lasting economic, social, and even political impacts. This paper discusses the microbiological aspects of food preservation and reviews commonly used artificial and natural preservatives as well as some emerging antimicrobials and their applications in food and beverage products to improve food safety, quality, and shelf-life. Some of the antimicrobial mechanisms are elaborated, and general principles of antimicrobial selection and validation for food applications are also described. In addition, examples of antimicrobial applications in food and beverage products are provided.
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