Dear Colleagues,

The application of bioprotective strains to improve the safety and stability of food and beverages is currently of great interest. Interesting research on biocontrol in the production of meat and dairy products and, to a lesser extent, in the manufacture of agricultural commodities is being undertaken. The growing increase in the food-consumption-induced transmission of pathogenic microorganisms through the food chain and the efforts to avoid the use of chemical compounds in food supports the need for research into alternative methods of preservation in this type of food. Different types of microorganisms, such as bacteria, yeasts, and moulds, produce compounds that control the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. Microorganisms and substances that can be used in biocontrol are of great importance, especially regarding their identification, activity, production conditions, antimicrobial mechanisms, and food application.

For this Special Issue of Foods, we invite authors to submit original research articles, short communications, and review papers covering at least one of the following topics:

• Identification and characterization of novel bioprotective strains;
• Antimicrobial mechanisms of bioprotective cultures in different foods;
• The application of bioprotective cultures to extend their shelf life;
• The influence of environmental conditions on the production of bioprotective compounds;
• The impact of emerging food processing methods on the development of bioprotective technologies based on microorganisms.

Prof. María José Benito
Prof. Santiago Ruiz-Moyano
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• food biopreservation
• antimicrobial mechanisms
• pathogens and spoilage microorganisms
• environmental conditions
• food preservation