Limitations and Challenges of the Application of Phages in the Field of Microbial Food Safety

In recent years, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated the role of phages in controlling harmful microorganisms in foods. Due to their host specificity, phages are considered as an ideal tool to guarantee food safety. However, there are a series of limitations to the application of phages, so there have been few cases of the application of phages in the food industry. In this context, this paper discusses the frontier and hot issues in the application of phages in food safety, with a focus on the acceptability of the application of phages in the food industry, the potential risk of drug resistance transmission, the problem of phage resistance of bacteria, and the influence of complex food matrices on the effect of phages. Moreover, scientific and reasonable suggestions on the application of phages in the food industry are put forward. We hope that this review will promote the shift from basic research on phages to their application in the food industry.