Lactic acid bacteria and their bacteriocins: promising food safety tools for controlling the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen and is a common contaminant of raw milk and meat products. It is also found in many sources such as soil, water, and vegetables. Pathogenic L. monocytogenes is the etiological agent of listeriosis that mainly affects certain risk groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, neonates, and immunocompromised patients. Of note, L. monocytogenes is almost exclusively transmitted to humans through food. New biological and environmental tools are needed to inhibit the proliferation of foodborne pathogens and to prevent spoilage microorganisms that contribute to food waste and the negative environmental sustainability impacts of food production and processing. These include biopreservation, which could be defined as a biological and effective method that involves the use of lactic acid bacteria strains and/or their metabolites, such as bacteriocins, to ensure the food safety of fermented foods without altering their organoleptic properties. Here, we discuss how lactic acid bacteria and their bacteriocins affect the proliferation of foodborne L. monocytogenes and spoilage microorganisms in cold-smoked salmon (CSS), dairy and meat products, and vegetables, when used as protective cultures or natural food additives. Thus, relevant cases of lactic acid bacteria and bacteriocins applications are presented as promising agents in agrifood industries.