Potentials of Natural Preservatives to Enhance Food Safety and Shelf Life: A Review

Abstract

Food-borne illnesses are a significant concern for consumers, the food industry, and food safety authorities. Natural preservatives are very crucial for enhancing food safety and shelf life. Therefore, this review aimed to assess the literature regarding the potential of natural preservatives to enhance food safety and extend the shelf life of food products. The review paper indicated that natural antimicrobial agents that inhibit bacterial and fungal growth for better quality and shelf life have been of considerable interest in recent years. Natural antimicrobials are mainly extracted and isolated as secondary metabolites of plants, animals, and microorganisms. Plants, especially herbs and spices, are given more attention as a source of natural antimicrobials. Microorganisms used in food fermentation also produce different antimicrobial metabolites, including organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, and diacetyl, in addition to bacteriocins. Products of animal origin, such as tissues and milk, contain different antimicrobial agents. Natural antimicrobials are primarily extracted and purified before utilization for food product development. The extraction condition and purification of natural preservatives may change their structure and affect their functionality. Selecting the best extraction method coupled with minimal processing such as direct mechanical extraction seems to preserve active ingredients. The activity of natural antimicrobials could also be influenced by the source, time of harvesting, and stage of development. The effectiveness of natural antimicrobial compounds in food applications is affected by different factors, including food composition, processing method, and storage conditions. Natural antimicrobials are safe because they can limit microbial resistance and meet consumers’ demands for healthier foods.

Noise Tolerant Photonic Bowtie Grating Environmental Sensor

“…For example, most cases of bacteria-based infection in the USA have been attributed to food-borne bacteria − making it imperative for food processing plants to quickly detect and mitigate against microbial activity. Further to this, regulations for preservative use in manufacturing and food-safety are regularly updated, shifting toward the use of nontoxic and environmentally sustainable preservatives. − Given this background, there is a need for effective in-line monitoring to maintain hygienic manufacturing conditions and as an early warning of contamination to minimize the impact on production and reducing material waste. Current monitoring methods for detection are offline; therefore, developing an in-line measurement method is highly desirable.…”

Effects of incorporation of sophorolipids on the texture profile, microbiological quality and oxidative stability of chicken sausages

“…Deterioration by microorganisms and lipid oxidation are important causes of food loss (Teshome et al, 2022). Sausages containing different concentrations of sophorolipids (0.008-0.06%/100 g) present cell counts for Salmonella spp., coagulase-positive Staphylococci and E. coli.…”

Analysis of the quality of liquid smoke coconut shells using Technoher equipment

“…Natural preservatives are currently very important to increase food safety and shelf life [11,12]. Things that needed to pay attention about natural preservative is the taste and aroma [13].…”