Phages as friends and enemies in food processing

Abstract

Phages can infect all bacterial genera on the planet leading to their abundance in ecosystems. While these bacterial viruses may represent a risk to industrial fermentations, they may also be valuable tools to control foodborne pathogens. Here we review these two sides of phage replication. As bacterial fermentations are constantly under threat of phage attacks, we will discuss phage diversity and industrial strategies employed to reduce their impact on food processing. Furthermore, we will explore the use of pathogen-infecting phages to reduce the risks associated with foodborne diseases.