ABSTRACT

CONTENTS 12.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 319 12.2 Antimicrobials of Plant Origin ............................................................. 320

12.2.1 Allium Species............................................................................ 320 12.2.2 Spices and Herbs ...................................................................... 324 12.2.3 Plant Pigments........................................................................... 328 12.2.4 Other Phenolic Compounds.................................................... 328 12.2.5 Organic Acids............................................................................ 330 12.2.6 Coffee, Tea, Kola, and Cocoa.................................................. 331 12.2.7 Phytoalexins............................................................................... 332 12.2.8 Propolis....................................................................................... 333

12.3 Antimicrobials of Animal Origin ......................................................... 334 12.3.1 Lytic Enzymes ........................................................................... 334 12.3.2 Peroxidases and Oxidases ....................................................... 335 12.3.3 Transferrins................................................................................ 335

References ........................................................................................................... 336

Prevention of human illnesses caused by foodborne pathogens is a major goal of public health agencies, food manufacturers, and food service facilities. The importance of food safety in many countries is evidenced by recent federal and local regulations based on the principles of hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) systems. Although industrially synthesized food antimicrobials are perceived by some consumers to have toxicological problems, their safety is ensured by regulatory authorities. Nevertheless,

synthetic antimicrobial compounds may be considered less desirable by a segment of the consuming public than are naturally occurring antimicrobials. This has resulted in widespread interest in the food industry to exploit natural antimicrobials for the purpose of controlling the growth of spoilage microorganisms as well as microorganisms known to produce toxins or cause human infections. There are numerous natural compounds in plants and animals that are known to prevent the growth of these microorganisms. For ease of presentation here, these antimicrobials have been placed in two groups: those of plant origin and those of animal origin. For more extensive coverage of naturally occurring antimicrobials, the reader is referred to reviews by Burt (2004), Dillon and Board (1994), Johnson and Larson (2005), Lo´pez-Malo et al. (2000), Lo´pez-Malo Vigil et al. (2005), Sofos et al. (1998), and Stopforth et al. (2005).