Application of AMPs in the Food and Beverage Industry

Since many food items are naturally perishable, it is important to protect them against spoilage throughout preparation, storage, and distribution in order to increase their shelf life. The need for fresh foods that are simple to prepare, ready to eat, and minimally processed, as well as the globalization of food trade and transportation, pose many challenges to assuring the food’s safety and quality. Food products may become contaminated by fungus and bacteria. Numerous microorganisms may negatively impact the flavour, aroma, colour, textural, and sensory properties of food. The ability of some bacteria to induce food-borne diseases makes microbial growth a serious problem. To prevent food from spoiling and the spread of harmful microorganisms, the food industry has employed a multitude of preservation techniques include heat treatment, salting, acidification, and drying. To avert bacterial and fungal growth in food, numerous efforts are made to identify natural alternatives. Natural additives are used to preserve food since consumers are aware of and concerned about synthetic chemical additions, (such as antimicrobial peptides) have grown significantly in recent years. The food packaging sector may benefit from the utilization of antimicrobial peptides. They significantly affect the growth and contamination of microorganisms while only being utilised in extremely little quantities. Additionally, they lessen the oxidation of lipids in many meat products. A promising technique for assuring their continual release in response to various triggers is the incorporation of nano-encapsulated structures and carries microcapsules with antimicrobial peptides as the core. These characteristics are influenced by the type and potency of antimicrobial peptides. To enable affordable and effective antimicrobial peptide encapsulation techniques, a number of methods can be established. Evaluation and application of antimicrobial peptides’ potential advantages for better food preservation are essential. This book chapter will address the properties, functions, traits, kinds, and action mechanisms of antimicrobial peptides in active food packaging systems. Additionally, their application in the food packaging sector and the encapsulation of antimicrobial peptides will also be discussed.