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Antimicrobial Strategies in Food Processing, Production and Storage
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Antimicrobial Strategies in Food Processing, Production and Storage

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 2986

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Sang-Soon Kim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Engineering, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
Interests: food sterilization; antimicrobial strategies; processing; production; storage

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ensuring the safety and quality of food products is a critical priority in the global food supply chain. The rise in antimicrobial resistance, along with consumers increasingly preferring minimally processed and sustainable foods, underscores the need for innovative and effective antimicrobial strategies. This Special Issue, entitled “Antimicrobial Strategies in Food Processing, Production and Storage”, explores advancements in combating microbial contamination across various stages of food production. In addition, this Special Issue will compile cutting-edge research on natural and synthetic antimicrobial agents, novel packaging technologies, and process interventions, with its scope including the application of nanotechnology, bio-based antimicrobials, hurdle technology, and predictive microbiology models to control pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. The integration of antimicrobial strategies into modern food systems while addressing regulatory, environmental, and economic challenges is a key focus. By presenting multidisciplinary perspectives, this collection aims to inspire innovative solutions and foster collaboration among scientists, industry professionals, and policymakers. Together, these advancements will contribute to safer, higher-quality, and more sustainable food systems. We invite readers to explore these contributions regarding the future of antimicrobial strategies in food science.

Dr. Sang-Soon Kim
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antimicrobial strategy
  • food processing
  • transportation
  • storage
  • thermal treatment
  • nonthermal treatment
  • hurdle technology
  • foodborne pathogen

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1453 KB  
Article
Effects of UVC Treatment on Biofilms of Escherichia coli Strains Formed at Different Temperatures and Maturation Periods
by Myounghyeon Kyoung, Jae-Ik Lee and Sang-Soon Kim
Foods 2025, 14(17), 3091; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14173091 - 3 Sep 2025
Viewed by 241
Abstract
In the present study, the biofilm formation and ultraviolet-C (UVC) resistance characteristics of Escherichia coli isolated from an occluded biliary stent were compared with those of four E. coli O157:H7 strains (ATCC 35150, 43889, 43890, and 43895). To evaluate biofilm formation, the E. [...] Read more.
In the present study, the biofilm formation and ultraviolet-C (UVC) resistance characteristics of Escherichia coli isolated from an occluded biliary stent were compared with those of four E. coli O157:H7 strains (ATCC 35150, 43889, 43890, and 43895). To evaluate biofilm formation, the E. coli isolated from a stent and four E. coli O157:H7 strains were incubated at 37, 25, and 15 °C for 7 days, revealing that peak biofilm formation occurred at 37 °C (day 1), 25 °C (day 3), and 15 °C (day 5), with the stent-isolated strain consistently exhibiting significantly higher biofilm cell counts than the others (p < 0.05). The UVC treatment was less effective at reducing viable biofilm cells as the formation temperature decreased, with the stent-isolated E. coli biofilm formed at 15 °C showing the lowest reduction levels. Exopolysaccharide quantification revealed that all E. coli strains produced more extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) at lower temperatures, with the stent-isolated E. coli biofilm formed at 15 °C showing significantly higher EPS levels than the other strains (p < 0.05), potentially explaining its greater UVC resistance. Based on these results, it was confirmed that the biofilm formed by the E. coli isolated from the stent at 15 °C exhibited the highest resistance to UVC, which can be attributed to its elevated exopolysaccharide production. This study demonstrates that both temperature and maturation period significantly influence E. coli biofilm characteristics and provides valuable insights into E. coli isolated from the stent, which may pose a risk of cross-contamination in food-related environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Strategies in Food Processing, Production and Storage)
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21 pages, 3158 KB  
Article
Emulsion-Coated Active Papers Extend the Storage Life of Tomato Fruit
by Laura Aguerri, Celia M. Cantín, Marinelly Quintero, Silvia Lóbez, Pedro Marco and Filomena Silva
Foods 2025, 14(16), 2774; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14162774 - 9 Aug 2025
Viewed by 462
Abstract
This study focused on developing emulsion-coated active papers with antifungal properties to extend the shelf life of tomatoes during home storage, thereby reducing food waste in households. First, a mixture of essential oils (EOmix)—composed of 33.3% oregano and 66.7% cinnamon leaf [...] Read more.
This study focused on developing emulsion-coated active papers with antifungal properties to extend the shelf life of tomatoes during home storage, thereby reducing food waste in households. First, a mixture of essential oils (EOmix)—composed of 33.3% oregano and 66.7% cinnamon leaf oils—was optimised through a mixture design and emulsified with cationic starches. Based on their stability and efficacy, two different emulsions containing 10% Tween 80, 6–8% EOmix, and HI-CAT or EVO cationic starches (82 or 84%, respectively) were selected and applied on paper. Then, the antifungal performance of the coated papers was tested in culture media against Botrytis cinerea, demonstrating strong antifungal activity in the vapour phase, effective for up to 31 days at 4 °C. In tests conducted with fresh tomatoes, the active papers improved fruit appearance and significantly reduced mould growth while maintaining overall sensory quality, indicating that these materials could extend tomato shelf life and thus offer a promising, low-cost, and biodegradable solution to reduce fruit waste at the consumer level, combining effective antifungal protection with good sensory performance in real-use conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Strategies in Food Processing, Production and Storage)
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16 pages, 856 KB  
Article
Inactivation of Aerosolized Hepatitis A Viral Droplets on Food Contact Surfaces by Ultraviolet-Light-Emitting Diodes at 255 nm and 279 nm
by Breanna Polen, Ankit Patras, Brahmaiah Pendyala and Doris H. D’Souza
Foods 2025, 14(11), 1899; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14111899 - 27 May 2025
Viewed by 584
Abstract
Hepatitis A viral outbreaks continue to occur. It can be transmitted through aerosolized droplets and thus can contaminate surfaces and the environment. Ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-C LED) systems are used for inactivation of microbes, though research is needed to determine optimal doses [...] Read more.
Hepatitis A viral outbreaks continue to occur. It can be transmitted through aerosolized droplets and thus can contaminate surfaces and the environment. Ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-C LED) systems are used for inactivation of microbes, though research is needed to determine optimal doses for aerosolized HAV inactivation. This study evaluates the UV-C LED doses for the inactivation of aerosolized hepatitis A virus (HAV) deposited on stainless-steel and glass discs. HAV was aseptically deposited onto stainless-steel or glass discs (1.27 cm diameter) using a nebulizer within a chamber followed by treatments for up to 1.5 min with 255 nm (surface dose = 0–76.5 mJ/cm2) or 279 nm (surface dose = 0–8.1 mJ/cm2) UV-C LED. Plaque assays were used to enumerate infectious titers of recovered viruses and data from three replicates were statistically analyzed. The calculated linear D10-value (UV-C dose for a 1-log reduction in aerosolized deposits) for HAV by 255 nm UV-C LED was 47.39 ± 7.40 and 40.0 ± 2.94 mJ/cm2 (R2 = 0.94 and 0.91) and using 279 nm UV-C LED were 6.60 ± 0.27 and 5.57 ± 0.74 mJ/cm2 (R2 = 0.98 and 0.94) on stainless-steel and glass discs, respectively. The non-linear Weibull model showed δ (dose needed for a 1-log reduction in aerosolized HAV deposits) values for HAV of 29.69 ± 5.49 and 35.25 ± 15.01 mJ/cm2 by 255 nm UV-C LED (R2 = 0.99 and 0.92) and 6.67 ± 0.63 and 5.21 ± 1.25 mJ/cm2 by 279 nm UV-C LED (R2 = 0.98 and 0.95) on stainless-steel and glass discs, respectively. These data indicate that 279 nm UV-C LED showed higher efficiency for HAV inactivation than 255 nm UV-C LED, and that Weibull models were a better fit when tailing was observed. This study provides the inactivation data needed to aid in designing UV-C LED systems for delivering doses required to inactivate bio-aerosolized HAV deposits on stainless-steel and glass. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Strategies in Food Processing, Production and Storage)
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17 pages, 5133 KB  
Article
Investigating the Synergistic Bactericidal Effects of Cold Plasma and Ultraviolet Radiation on Pseudomonas fragi
by Haidu Yuan, Fei Chen, Jiajia Zhang, Xinglei Guo, Jianhao Zhang and Wenjing Yan
Foods 2025, 14(4), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14040550 - 7 Feb 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1231
Abstract
Cold plasma is a novel non-thermal processing technology with broad application prospects in food preservation. When combined with other physical sterilization technologies, it enhances sterilization efficiency and broadens its application scope, providing a safe and effective alternative to traditional sterilization methods. In this [...] Read more.
Cold plasma is a novel non-thermal processing technology with broad application prospects in food preservation. When combined with other physical sterilization technologies, it enhances sterilization efficiency and broadens its application scope, providing a safe and effective alternative to traditional sterilization methods. In this paper, the sterilization effect of surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) plasma combined with 222 nm ultraviolet (UV) irradiation against Pseudomonas fragi (P. fragi) was explored for the first time. The sterilization process parameters of SDBD + UV were optimized using the response surface methodology. And the sterilization mechanism of SDBD + UV was preliminary elucidated. The results indicated that the SDBD + UV treatment was highly effective against P. fragi. It could eliminate 6.35 Log CFU/g of P. fragi within 150 s, establishing optimal sterilization parameters: a radiation distance of 16.4 cm and a saving time (a period of preservation in which the samples were retained in the device after the treatment) of 120 s. Furthermore, the treatment caused significant damage to the cell membrane of P. fragi, leading to membrane perforation and content leakage. It also induced oxidative stress, as evidenced by membrane lipid peroxidation, alterations in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, and a decrease in antioxidant enzyme activity. This study provides a theoretical basis for the application of cold plasma combined with 222 nm UV treatment in the meat industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Strategies in Food Processing, Production and Storage)
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