ABSTRACT
The safety and quality of milk and dairy products may be compromised by the growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms responsible for foodborne illness and product waste. The need for environmentally-friendly strategies to preserve dairy products and to maintain both, nutritional and organoleptic properties, has potentiated the use of microbiota and natural antimicrobials to extend food and beverages shelf-life, a strategy known as biopreservation. In this manner, lactic acid bacteria, used as starters or protective cultures, together with related antimicrobial compounds such as metabolites (diacetyl, organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, reuterin or antifungals) and bacteriocins, have been developed to prevent the proliferation of undesirable microorganisms. In the same way, bacteriophages and their peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes have the potential to become viable biocontrol agents that can be used in dairy plants to enhance the safety and quality of fermented dairy products. Nevertheless, the introduction of possible biopreservation agents is subjected to legal constraints that delay their use. Although several formulations are already commercially available, further research remains necessary in order to ensure that these methods are effective and safe.
