title: The Challenges of Eliminating or Substituting Antimicrobial Preservatives in Foods.
abstract: Consumers' criteria for evaluating food safety have evolved recently from considering the food's potential to cause immediate physical harm to considering the potential long-term effects that consumption of artificial ingredients, including antimicrobial preservatives, would have on health. As bacteriostatic and bactericidal agents to prevent microbial spoilage, antimicrobials not only extend shelf life, but they also enhance the product's safety. Antimicrobials and their levels that may be used in foods are specified by regulatory agencies. This review addresses the safety of antimicrobials and the potential consequences of removing those that are chemically synthesized or replacing them with antimicrobials from so-called natural sources. Such changes can affect the microbiological safety and spoilage of food as well as reduce shelf life, increase wastage, and increase the occurrence of foodborne illnesses.
authors.affiliation: Center for Food Safety and Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin, Georgia 30223; email: mericks@uga.edu , mdoyle@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Marilyn C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Erickson
authors.affiliation: Center for Food Safety and Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin, Georgia 30223; email: mericks@uga.edu , mdoyle@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Doyle
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005520:Food Preservatives; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D005520:Food Preservatives
keywords: benzoate; consumer; nitrite; parabens; sorbate; synthetic additive