Bio-preservation

There exist microorganism that are nontoxic and have been found even to be beneficial, directly or indirectly, to human health.

The inhibition of foodborne pathogens by lactic acid bacteria is one form of natural food preservation.

Nowadays, this tendency for natural preservation of foods has provided the basis for the development of new methods of preservation, such as bio-preservation or biological preservation of foods.

Use of natural antimicrobial systems is studied because consumers and governments move away from extensive use of artificial preservatives.

Bio-preservation aims for the reduction of health risks without changing the organoleptic properties of the products.

It is biological preservation of foods referred to as extension of shelf life and the improvement of safety of products by mean of the endogenous microflora or using cultures as starters for protective, and/ or their metabolites.

It also referred to a combination of fermentation and preservation processes and entails the extension of shelf life and improving the safety of food.

The main goal of bio-preservation is the enhancement of safety using bacteria with antimicrobial capabilities or their substances.

The preserving action of this bacteria is not necessarily associated with their ability to ferment the food of interest.

Bacteria used in bio-preservation should be harmless to humans, complete well with spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms for nutrients of food if conditions are conducive to microbial growth, and produces acids and other antimicrobial agents, particularly bacteriocins.

Bacteriocins can be defined as protein containing macromolecules with a capacity to exert bactericidal action on susceptible bacteria.

E. coli produce colicins and lactococci produce nisin and diplococcion. The bacteriocins inhibit some gram-positive bacteria, spore forming bacteria and food borne pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes.
Bio-preservation