Bacteriocins sourced from traditional fermented foods for ensuring food safety: the microbial guards

Abstract Concerns about food safety have consistently driven the exploration of potent antimicrobials with probiotic origins. Identification of probiotic‐derived bacteriocins as robust alternatives to antibiotics has gained traction following the COVID‐19 pandemic. Additionally, the global market is witnessing an increasing preference for minimally processed food products free from chemical additives. Another contributing factor to the search for potent antimicrobials is the escalating number of infections caused by antibiotic‐resistant bacteria and the need to mitigate the significant damage inflicted on the commensal human microbiota by broad‐spectrum antibiotics. As an alternative bio‐preservation strategy, there is substantial enthusiasm for the use of bacteriocins or starter cultures producing bacteriocins in preserving a variety of food items. This review specifically focuses on bacteriocins originating from lactic acid bacteria associated with fermented foods and explores their technological applications as nanobiotics. The food‐grade antibiotic alternatives, whether utilized independently or in combination with other antimicrobials and administered directly or encapsulated, are anticipated to possess qualities of safety, stability and non‐toxicity suitable for application in the food sector. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.