The formation of microbial biofilm has a great impact on food safety, which seriously threatens people’s health and is recognized as one of the food safety hazards worldwide. Anti-biofilm materials have been gradually applied in the field of food microbial safety due to their advantages like reducing microbial hazards and cross-contamination in food production and processing. In this context, this paper begins with an overview of the definition and preparation methods of anti-biofilm materials and their classification based on the type of active substances used, followed by a review of the current status of the application of anti-biofilm materials in the food industry. Finally, we conclude this review with an outlook on the future development of anti-biofilm materials. This paper can provide a theoretical basis for further research on anti-biofilm materials to comprehensively promote the application of such materials in the field of food microbial safety, and also provide effective technical strategies for guaranteeing food safety and human health.

Bacteria can adhere to foods or food contact surfaces and form biofilms, which may cause equipment damage, food spoilage, and even human diseases. As the major form of bacteria in the food industry, mixed-species biofilms often have a stronger resistance to disinfectants and antibiotics compared with single-species biofilm. However, the formation and inter-species interactions of mixed-species biofilms are quite complicated, and its potential effects in the food industry remain to be explored. In this review, we summarize the formation and inter-species interactions of mixed-species biofilms and novel control strategies developed in recent years, and discuss future trends in the prevention and control of mixedspecies biofilms in the food industry. This review aims to provide a theoretical basis for further research of mixed-species biofilms in the food industry and the development of efficient novel control strategies, in order to better safeguard food safety and public health.

The processing of ready-to-eat fermented meat products has a long history, which are popular with consumers because of their plentiful nutrients and unique color and flavor. There is not yet a comprehensive review on the ripening process and mechanism of these products. Beginning with a review of the recent research on ready-to-eat fermented meat products, this paper presents a systematic summary of the physical and chemical changes during the ripening process of ready-to-eat fermented meat products, including the hydrolysis and oxidation of proteins and lipids, the formation of flavor substances, and texture changes. Furthermore, this paper discusses the factors that affect the ripening of ready-to-eat fermented meat products including enzymatic hydrolysis, the antioxidant effect of starter cultures and the flavor and color enhancement mechanism of curing agents. Finally, the shortcomings of the current research and future research directions are discussed. The aim of this review is to provide a theoretical basis for the in-depth research and development of ready-to-eat fermented meat products.

The photodynamic inactivation of common pathogenic (Vibrio parahaemolyticus) and spoilage (Shewanella putrefaction) bacteria in aquatic products was investigated using curcumin as a photosensitizer. Viable cell counts, cell regrowth capacity, cell surface morphology, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, biofilm biomass and cell viability were detected before and after photodynamic treatment, and the structural parameters of biofilms were further analyzed. The results showed that when the final concentration of curcumin was 3.0 or 10 μmol/L, and the illumination time was 8 min, the colony number of V. parahaemolyticus and S. putrefaciens were reduced by more than 7 (lg(CFU/mL)). The antibacterial mechanism was by producing a large amount of ROS, leading to the breakdown of the bacterial cell wall and eventually cell lysis and death. In addition, when the illumination time was 60 min, the eradication rates of V. parahaemolyticus and S. putrefaciens biofilms were about 70% and 62% for curcumin concentrations of 30 and 50 μmol/L, respectively. This study may provide new ideas for the design of a new photodynamic technology (PDT) for use in the food industry.

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.

Under the influence of the production process, fermented meat products are easily contaminated during processing and storage, posing safety risks and causing harms to human health. In this paper, the biological, chemical, physical and other hazardous factors of fermented meat products and the biological, chemical and physical control measures against these factors as well as their underlying mechanisms are systematically reviewed. Finally, the problems currently existing in the prevention and control of the harmful factors and follow-up research directions are discussed. Hopefully this review will provide a theoretical basis for the research and development of fermented meat products.

Aquatic products are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and high-quality proteins, which are very susceptible to spoilage during storage, so the development of new preservation technologies to extend the shelf life of aquatic products has become a hotspot in current research. Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) technology, as a new and efficient means of inactivating microorganisms, has shown great potential for application in the field of aquatic product preservation. In this article, we elaborate on the mechanism of PDI technology in the preservation of aquatic products, discuss the factors affecting the preservation effect of PDI on aquatic products, and introduce the methods for its evaluation. In addition, we present a systematic review of the application of PDI in the preservation of fish, crustaceans, shellfish and other aquatic products. On this basis, we provide an outlook on the development of new photosensitizers and the combined application of PDI technology with other preservation technologies, aiming to provide a basis for promoting the application and development of PDI technology in the field of aquatic product preservation.

Ice preservation is one of the most extensive methods of food preservation, and improving the ability of ice preservation is a key and difficult problem in the field of food preservation. However, the limited ability of traditional ice to inhibit microbial viability hinders the further development of the food industry. At present, new functional ices such as electrolyzed water ice, ozone ice, plasma activated water ice, bacteriostatic substance added ice, fluidized ice, ultraviolet radiation ice and composite functional ice, which have better preservation effect than traditional ice and therefore have broad prospects for development and application, have found wide applications in the field of food preservation. Research on new functional ice with better sterilization and preservation effect has become a hot spot in the food industry. Therefore, this paper summarizes the preparation, sterilization and preservation mechanism of new functional ice in order to provide a theoretical basis and scientific evidence for further development of new functional ice and to promote the application of new functional ice in food sterilization and preservation.

The effect of extrusion processing on water-soluble dietary fiber (SDF) and water-insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) of whole grain highland barley (HB) in terms of morphology, physicochemical and functional properties, and antioxidant activities was studied. Extrusion processing resulted in the more porous and loose structure of SDF and IDF, and significantly increased the specific surface area of SDF and IDF. The predominant monosaccharide in IDF and SDF was cellulose. Extrusion processing improved the water holding capacity of SDF and IDF by 23.9% and 40.4%, respectively. The glucose absorption capacity and glucose dialysis retardation index of IDF and SDF were further significantly improved by extrusion processing, indicating the great potential of glucose control in vitro of IDF and SDF. The cholesterol adsorption capacity, nitrite adsorption capacity, and cation exchange capacity of IDF and SDF were also significantly improved through extrusion processing. Extrusion processing significantly improved the antioxidant activities of IDF and SDF which reflected as the improved DPPH and ABTS⁺ scavenging activities. Taken together, extrusion processing improved the physicochemical and functional properties of dietary fiber of whole grain HB, as well as the antioxidant activities. This study showed the great potential of dietary fiber of whole grain HB in the applications of functional foods for improving the health benefits.