ABSTRACT
The interaction of smoke components with microbes has seen two main areas of investigation, one deal with the reduction of microbial counts during food smoking and the other has primarily been concerned with extending the shelf life of smoked foods. Most of the research has been associated with bacterial growth, with much less work focusing on molds, and even less with yeasts. Another function of wood smoke, or at least certain fractions of it, is its potential antimicrobial properties. In general, it would appear that molds and yeasts are less sensitive to smoke than bacteria. Another area of confusion in the literature relative to the potential antimicrobial role of smoke is the fact that numerous strains of bacteria, mold, and yeasts can be naturally present. Numerous researchers have reported both specific and generalized antimicrobial properties associated with smoke.
