Sustainable processing technologies (pulsed light, electrolysed water and ozonation) for microbial decontamination of muscle foods

• Published in: Innovative food science & emerging technologies 2024-08, Vol.96, p.103778, Article 103778
• Main Authors: Rathod, Nikheel Bhojraj, Smaoui, Slim, Agrawal, Rinku, Bhagwat, Prashant, Amobonye, Ayodeji, Pillai, Santhosh, Yilmaz, Nurten, Ozogul, Fatih
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Preservation; Quality; Safety; Spoilage
• ISSN: 1466-8564
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ifset.2024.103778

Considering the high perishable nature of muscle foods (fish, poultry and red meat) and wide diversity in spoilage microorganisms responsible for spoilage, the prevalence of pathogenic microorganisms in muscle food spoilage is significant. There has been extensive coverage on the emergence of antibiotic resistance in food spoilage microbes in recent years. Chemical preservatives have been extensively employed for the preservation of muscle foods although they have been found to cause toxicity and are not environmentally sustainable. Nevertheless, the scientific community has shown a growing interest in recent breakthroughs in the utilization of innovative clean-label technologies for the preservation of muscle meals, owing to their sustainable characteristics. Among them pulsed light, electrolysed water and ozonation have been under wide exploration. The evaluated sustainable technologies have been found to effectively inhibit the microbial spoilage and reduce the development of antimicrobial resistance. This review discusses potentiality of sustainable technologies in preserving muscle foods with minimal deteriorative impact. •Consumption of spoiled muscle foods causes food borne infections and results in development of antimicrobial resistance.•Pulsed light, electrolysed water and ozonation have been extensively studied for decontamination of food.•Novel sustainable technologies delay the growth of microorganisms effectively.•Sustainable technologies prevent risk of transmission of antimicrobial resistance, promoting food safety and conservation.