Sustainability of Process and Biocontrol in the Agri-Food Industry

Dear Colleagues,

The conventional chemical treatments in agri-food are considered unsustainable. Indeed, considerations such as the frequent appearance of resistant strains, the environment and human health have necessitated new strategies.

On the other hand, antimicrobials play a critical role in treating diseases in food-producing animals (aquatic and terrestrial) and plants, helping to ensure food security. The estimates of the total annual global use of antimicrobials in agriculture vary considerably and AMR has become a major global threat of increasing concern to human and animal health. It also has implications for food safety, food security and the economic wellbeing of millions of farming households. As a result, research into alternative solutions to protect animals/crops has been initiated and has attracted attention from researchers worldwide.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the use of natural antimicrobial compounds to limit or avoid the use of chemical antimicrobials. Natural antimicrobial compounds have potential applications in the food industry and as therapeutic agents against animal and human infections, as well as for the biological control of plant pathogens.

Natural antimicrobial compounds can be produced by plants (essential oils) or microorganisms (bacteriocins, mycocines, active peptides). In spite of a wide range of possible applications, however, their exploitation on the industrial level is still limited and needs to be investigated. The actual and possible applications of natural compounds in agri-food are an interesting and growing field. In addition to the use of antimicrobial compounds, the microorganisms themselves can be used in the control of spoilage microorganisms along the entire production chain of agro-industry products. Likewise, the rapid development of novelties in this research field requires up-to-date review papers.

In this Special Issue, we invite authors who are leading investigations in this topic to contribute to the knowledge on the use of natural antimicrobial compounds and biocontrol agents in the agri-food industry.

Prof. Dr. Maurizio Ciani
Guest Editor

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