Application of QPS- and GRAS-status microorganisms and bacteriocins for sustainable food preservation

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dc.contributor.authorKamilari, Eleni
dc.contributor.authorStanton, Catherine
dc.contributor.authorHill, Colin
dc.contributor.authorRoss, R. Paul
dc.contributor.funderEuropean Commission, EC
dc.contributor.funderEuropean Research Council, ERC, 101054719
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-08T15:00:05Z
dc.date.available2026-07-08T15:00:05Z
dc.date.issued2026-07-07
dc.description.abstractFood quality deterioration due to microbial contamination and consequent spoilage represents a major challenge for the food industry. This growing concern creates the need for sustainable, effective, and consumer-safe solutions. The increasing consumer awareness of the potential risks for human health of synthetic preservatives forces the demand for the use of natural alternatives. One promising solution involves the administration of natural biopreservatives, including microorganisms with Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) or Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status, as well as antimicrobial compounds derived from such microbes. This review highlights the application of QPS- and GRAS-status microbial strains and/or the antimicrobials they produce in several food categories, such as dairy, meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, and baked products, as natural bioprotective cultures/peptides against spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. Considering the increasing threat generated by foodborne pathogens carrying antibiotic resistance genes, we also explore the targeted use of antimicrobials, particularly bacteriocins, to selectively inhibit these harmful microbes in food products. Furthermore, we examine strategies to enhance the antimicrobial effectiveness of bacteriocins against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, using a combination of bacteriocins with membrane-permeabilizing agents like ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), organic acids, essential oils, and chitosan-based coatings. Overall, this review aims to uncover the potential of replacing synthetic preservatives with natural, consumer-friendly safe cultures as preservatives and clean-label antimicrobials, offering a promising solution on reducing global food waste.en
dc.description.sponsorshipAcknowledge funding from the European Union (ERC, BACtheWINNER, Project No. 101054719). However, the views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council Executive Agency.
dc.description.versionAccepted Version
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.articleid111942
dc.identifier.authororcidKamilari, Eleni
dc.identifier.authororcidStanton, Catherine
dc.identifier.authororcidHill, Colin§0000-0002-8527-1445
dc.identifier.authororcidRoss, R. Paul§0000-0003-4876-8839
dc.identifier.citationKamilari, E, Stanton, C, Hill, C & Ross, R P 2026, 'Application of QPS- and GRAS-status microorganisms and bacteriocins for sustainable food preservation', International Journal of Food Microbiology, vol. 460, 111942. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2026.111942
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2026.111942
dc.identifier.issn0168-1605
dc.identifier.othercrossref: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2026.111942
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0003-4876-8839/work/220111270
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0002-8527-1445/work/220111986
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/19030
dc.identifier.volume460
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier B.V.
dc.relation.urihttps://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105044276044
dc.rightsPublisher Copyright: Copyright © 2026. Published by Elsevier B.V.
dc.rights.accessrightsembargoed access
dc.rights.licensenameAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.statusPeer reviewed
dc.subjectBacteriocins
dc.subjectFood preservation
dc.subjectFood sustainability
dc.subjectGRAS status
dc.subjectNatural biopreservatives
dc.subjectQPS status
dc.subject[APCMicrobiome]
dc.subject[Microbiology]
dc.titleApplication of QPS- and GRAS-status microorganisms and bacteriocins for sustainable food preservationen
dc.typeReview
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