Wójcicki Michał, Sokołowska Barbara, Górski Andrzej, Jończyk-Matysiak Ewa
Bacteriophage Laboratory, Department of Phage Therapy, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Weigla 12, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland.
Department of Microbiology, Prof. Wacław Dąbrowski Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology-State Research Institute, Rakowiecka 36, 02-532 Warsaw, Poland.
Viruses. 2025 May 29;17(6):778. doi: 10.3390/v17060778.
The increasing consumer demand for minimally processed foods (MPFs) has highlighted the need for innovative preservation methods that ensure both safety and quality. Among promising biocontrol tools, bacteriophages-viruses that selectively destroy bacteria-have gained significant attention. This review explores the dual role of bacteriophages in the food industry. On one hand, they offer a natural, highly specific, and environmentally friendly means of controlling both pathogenic and spoilage bacteria in MPFs, contributing to improved food safety, extended shelf life, and reduced reliance on antibiotics and chemical preservatives. Their use spans primary production, bio-sanitization, and biopreservation. On the other hand, phages pose significant risks in fermentation-based industries such as dairy, where they can disrupt starter cultures and impair production. This review also examines the regulatory, technological, and safety challenges involved in phage application, including concerns about antibiotic resistance gene transfer, the presence of endotoxins, and scale-up limitations. Ultimately, this paper argues that with proper strain selection and regulation, bacteriophages can become valuable allies in sustainable food systems, despite their potential drawbacks. The application of strictly virulent bacteriophages as part of "green biotechnology" could enhance food quality and improve consumer health safety. By implementing the "farm to fork" strategy, bacteriophages may contribute to the production of health-promoting and sustainable food.
消费者对最少加工食品（MPF）的需求不断增加，凸显了对确保安全与质量的创新保鲜方法的需求。在有前景的生物防治工具中，噬菌体（即能选择性破坏细菌的病毒）受到了广泛关注。本综述探讨了噬菌体在食品工业中的双重作用。一方面，它们提供了一种天然、高度特异性且环保的方法，用于控制最少加工食品中的致病细菌和腐败细菌，有助于提高食品安全、延长保质期，并减少对抗生素和化学防腐剂的依赖。它们的应用涵盖初级生产、生物消毒和生物保鲜。另一方面，噬菌体在乳制品等基于发酵的行业中构成重大风险，因为它们会干扰发酵剂培养并影响生产。本综述还研究了噬菌体应用中涉及的监管、技术和安全挑战，包括对抗生素抗性基因转移、内毒素存在以及扩大规模限制的担忧。最终，本文认为，尽管噬菌体存在潜在缺点，但通过适当的菌株选择和监管，它们可以成为可持续食品系统中有价值的盟友。作为“绿色生物技术”的一部分，应用严格毒性的噬菌体可以提高食品质量并改善消费者健康安全。通过实施“从农场到餐桌”战略，噬菌体可能有助于生产促进健康和可持续的食品。
