Sterilizing effect of phage cocktail against Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 in foods

• Published in: Food bioscience 2023-02, Vol.51, p.102282, Article 102282
• Main Authors: Wang, Yuxin, Li, Jing, Wang, Yang, Wu, Jiaoling, Wang, Xuhang, Xue, Feng, Ren, Jianluan, Dai, Jianjun, Tang, Fang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Food preservative; Food safety; Phage cocktail; STEC O157:H7
• ISSN: 2212-4292; 2212-4306
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2022.102282

The foodborne pathogen, E. coli O157:H7, has a severe impact and threatens human life and health. The emergence of bacterial resistance and the limitations of traditional food additives have made human food safety an unprecedented threat. Therefore, new food additives that effectively remove Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) O157:H7 from food and food processing equipment are urgently needed. Bacteriophage, highly versatile and safe in the food chain, has gained renewed attention. Here, a novel phage cocktail was developed to effectively remove STEC O157:H7 from liquid food, solid food, and food processing materials simultaneously, without affecting the appearance and nutritional content. This study provides a new strategy to use phage cocktail as food preservative in the food field to protect human food safety. •A novel phage cocktail to efficiently lyse STEC O157:H7.•Phage cocktail efficiently inhibits STEC O157:H7 on foods.•Phage cocktail had no significant effect on the appearance and nutritional content of foods.•Phage cocktail can remove biofilm and viable cells under biofilm of STEC O157:H7 on SS and PS.•The phage cocktail could be used in multiple links of food processing supply chain.