Sustainable Innovations in Food Microbiology: Fermentation, Biocontrol, and Functional Foods
The growing demand for more sustainable food systems has driven the development of solutions based on food microbiology, capable of integrating safety, functionality, and environmental responsibility. This paper presents a critical and up-to-date review of the most relevant advances at the interface...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/13/2320 |
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| author | Amanda Priscila Silva Nascimento Ana Novo Barros |
| author_facet | Amanda Priscila Silva Nascimento Ana Novo Barros |
| author_sort | Amanda Priscila Silva Nascimento |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The growing demand for more sustainable food systems has driven the development of solutions based on food microbiology, capable of integrating safety, functionality, and environmental responsibility. This paper presents a critical and up-to-date review of the most relevant advances at the interface between microbiology, sustainability, and food innovation. The analysis is structured around three main axes: (i) microbial fermentation, with a focus on traditional practices and precision technologies aimed at valorizing agro-industrial waste and producing functional foods; (ii) microbial biocontrol, including the use of bacteriocins, protective cultures, bacteriophages, and CRISPR-Cas (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats–CRISPR-associated)-based tools as alternatives to synthetic preservatives; and (iii) the development of functional foods containing probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics, with the potential to modulate the gut microbiota and promote metabolic, immune, and cognitive health. In addition to reviewing the microbiological and technological mechanisms involved, the paper discusses international regulatory milestones, scalability challenges, and market trends related to consumer acceptance and clean labeling. Finally, emerging trends and research gaps are addressed, including the use of omics technologies, artificial intelligence, and unexplored microbial resources. Food microbiology, by incorporating sustainable practices and advanced technologies, is positioned as a strategic pillar for building a healthy, circular, science-based food model. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d0e1e3ba2eb7450d9027496eabb25ee3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj-art-d0e1e3ba2eb7450d9027496eabb25ee32025-08-20T03:50:17ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-06-011413232010.3390/foods14132320Sustainable Innovations in Food Microbiology: Fermentation, Biocontrol, and Functional FoodsAmanda Priscila Silva Nascimento0Ana Novo Barros1Unidade Académica Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade Federal Campina Grande, Av. Aprigio Veloso, 882, Campina Grande 58429-900, PA, BrazilCentre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalThe growing demand for more sustainable food systems has driven the development of solutions based on food microbiology, capable of integrating safety, functionality, and environmental responsibility. This paper presents a critical and up-to-date review of the most relevant advances at the interface between microbiology, sustainability, and food innovation. The analysis is structured around three main axes: (i) microbial fermentation, with a focus on traditional practices and precision technologies aimed at valorizing agro-industrial waste and producing functional foods; (ii) microbial biocontrol, including the use of bacteriocins, protective cultures, bacteriophages, and CRISPR-Cas (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats–CRISPR-associated)-based tools as alternatives to synthetic preservatives; and (iii) the development of functional foods containing probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics, with the potential to modulate the gut microbiota and promote metabolic, immune, and cognitive health. In addition to reviewing the microbiological and technological mechanisms involved, the paper discusses international regulatory milestones, scalability challenges, and market trends related to consumer acceptance and clean labeling. Finally, emerging trends and research gaps are addressed, including the use of omics technologies, artificial intelligence, and unexplored microbial resources. Food microbiology, by incorporating sustainable practices and advanced technologies, is positioned as a strategic pillar for building a healthy, circular, science-based food model.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/13/2320food microbiologysustainable fermentationprotective culturesmicrobial biocontrolfunctional foodsprobiotics and postbiotics |
| spellingShingle | Amanda Priscila Silva Nascimento Ana Novo Barros Sustainable Innovations in Food Microbiology: Fermentation, Biocontrol, and Functional Foods Foods food microbiology sustainable fermentation protective cultures microbial biocontrol functional foods probiotics and postbiotics |
| title | Sustainable Innovations in Food Microbiology: Fermentation, Biocontrol, and Functional Foods |
| title_full | Sustainable Innovations in Food Microbiology: Fermentation, Biocontrol, and Functional Foods |
| title_fullStr | Sustainable Innovations in Food Microbiology: Fermentation, Biocontrol, and Functional Foods |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sustainable Innovations in Food Microbiology: Fermentation, Biocontrol, and Functional Foods |
| title_short | Sustainable Innovations in Food Microbiology: Fermentation, Biocontrol, and Functional Foods |
| title_sort | sustainable innovations in food microbiology fermentation biocontrol and functional foods |
| topic | food microbiology sustainable fermentation protective cultures microbial biocontrol functional foods probiotics and postbiotics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/13/2320 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT amandapriscilasilvanascimento sustainableinnovationsinfoodmicrobiologyfermentationbiocontrolandfunctionalfoods AT ananovobarros sustainableinnovationsinfoodmicrobiologyfermentationbiocontrolandfunctionalfoods |