Abstract
Due to recent outbreaks by foodborne pathogens, food safety has started to gain much more attention from consumers and food industry. Foodborne pathogens are becoming resistant to food preservation methods and antibiotics. However, synthetic and chemical preservatives have negative impact on health. Natural antimicrobials have potential health benefits and they can improve the flavor and aroma of products. Plant extracts, herbs, and spices are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and have antimicrobial effects against foodborne pathogens. Essential oils (EOs) extracted from plants and their active ingredients have also shown antioxidant and antimicrobial activities against several harmful microorganisms. However, these natural ingredients lose activity in food products during processing and handling since these ingredients could interact with food compounds. Therefore, nanoencapsulation of natural antimicrobials could help to protect the antimicrobial efficacy and increase the shelf-life of food products. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the role of several natural products and nanoencapsulation strategies to enhance the efficacy of these products. We discuss several methods of encapsulation processes and their activity in growth media and food systems.
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