Consumption of vegetables, fruits, nutraceuticals, and many other products have been widely accepted as an integral component of a healthy diet. A diet including a diversity of natural or processed foods has been achieved due to more availability, diversity, affordability, international trade, electronic communication, urbanization, improved transportation, public education, healthy trends, and improved agricultural practices. However, foods can be contaminated with foodborne pathogens at various points during the production, handling, packing, storage and distribution processes. The number of outbreaks due to contaminated food consumption has increased in recent years; consequently, attention to the factors responsible for these outbreaks must be addressed. Enteropathogens are evolving increasing levels of resistance to commonly used antibiotics, and resistance to new drugs is emerging at an alarming rate. While synthetic additives are widely used in the food industry to prevent microbial contamination, there is a consumer-driven trend toward fewer synthetic food additives and more natural products. The use of antimicrobials from plants is emerging as a natural alternative to synthetic bactericides to control pathogens during production, washing and storage. As examples, the antimicrobial efficacy of the extracts of lime and oregano is clearly demonstrated to disinfect contaminated cilantro, parsley, and spinach. Mixtures of the lime, plum, and sour orange peel extracts are simple to prepare and are alternatives to reduce or eliminate Campylobacter contamination of chicken products. Various cacti may be used in food systems as nutraceuticals or antimicrobial agents due to their antioxidant compounds or antimicrobial activity. Extracts of Agave asperrima and Agave striata inhibit growth of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus and the production of aflatoxin in culture medium or in corn. Various natural antimicrobials from plants not only inhibit or kill bacteria, but also at lower concentrations reduce quorum sensing activity and the expression of virulence factors (swarming motility, biofilm formation, adherence and invasion to cells, among others). Application of these natural antimicrobials together with proper hygiene and manufacturing practices and systems, will help to control and prevent food contamination.

Hazards in foods: Natural antimicrobials to control foodborne pathogens

256th National Meeting (2018)

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