Strategies for the Development of Bioprotective Cultures in Food Preservation

Abstract

Consumers worldwide are increasingly demanding food with fewer ingredients, preferably without chemical additives. The trend called “Clean Label” has stimulated the development and commercialization of new types of bioprotective bacterial cultures. These bacteria are not considered new, and several cultures have been available on the market. Additionally, new bioprotective bacteria are being identified to service the clean label trend, extend the shelf life, and, mainly, improve the food safety of food. In this context, the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been extensively prospected as a bioprotective culture, as they have a long history in food production and their antimicrobial activity against spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms is well established. However, to make LAB cultures available in the market is not that easy, the strains should be characterized phenotypically and genotypically, and studies of safety and technological application are necessary to validate their bioprotection performance. Thus, this review presents information on the bioprotection mechanisms developed by LAB in foods and describes the main strategies used to identify and characterize bioprotective LAB with potential application in the food industry.

Selection of a Probiotic for Its Potential for Developing a Synbiotic Peach and Grape Juice

“…Specifically, probiotics are able to prevent pathogens from attaching enterocytes and activate an immune response against pathogens [18]. Lactic acid bacteria can be used as bioprotective cultures [19]. Another method of biopreservation is the application of metabolites produced by the cultures, including antimicrobial peptides such as bacteriocins [20,21].…”

Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bacillus subtilis as Potential Protective Cultures for Biopreservation in the Food Industry

“…A variety of novel preservation strategies have arisen in response to the clean-label production trend, such as the use of bioprotective bacterial cultures and their metabolites [8][9][10]. This entails the use of micro-organisms and their products (such as their cell-free supernatants, CFSs) to increase the shelf life of food through competitive exclusion or the production of antimicrobial substances [9,10].…”

“…A variety of novel preservation strategies have arisen in response to the clean-label production trend, such as the use of bioprotective bacterial cultures and their metabolites [8][9][10]. This entails the use of micro-organisms and their products (such as their cell-free supernatants, CFSs) to increase the shelf life of food through competitive exclusion or the production of antimicrobial substances [9,10]. Only microbial species included in the Qualified Presumption of Safety list (QPS) [11] can be used to produce bioprotective cultures, and bacteria should not harbor any acquired transferrable antimicrobial resistance genes to clinically relevant antimicrobials to avoid horizontal transfer to other bacteria [12].…”

“…Only microbial species included in the Qualified Presumption of Safety list (QPS) [11] can be used to produce bioprotective cultures, and bacteria should not harbor any acquired transferrable antimicrobial resistance genes to clinically relevant antimicrobials to avoid horizontal transfer to other bacteria [12]. Additionally, and in line with EFSA's guidance on the characterization of production microorganisms used in feed [13], there should be evidence of the non-toxigenicity of the cultures and of the stability of the intended technological effect, along with the definition of the quantity to be used at safe levels [10,14,15].…”

“…Among possible protective micro-organisms, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) stand out as a compelling choice: they boast a well-established tradition in food applications, are perceived as safe for human consumption, and exhibit a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity [10]. The antimicrobial capacity of LAB is attributed to the synthesis of various antimicrobial compounds, such as organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, and bacteriocins [16].…”