Extending the shelf life of food products is a challenge that humanity has been attempting to solve since ancient times. Chemical preservatives and antibiotics are actively used in the food industry. Many preservatives cause public concern due to their toxicity and their potential to suppress the natural human microbiota. Furthermore, the issue of acquired resistance in pathogens—contaminants of food raw materials that cause spoilage and pose a health threat—is also a factor.
The metabolic characteristics of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) have long allowed for their widespread use in preservation processes. A leading role in explaining the phenomenon of antagonism among Lactic Acid Bacteria is attributed to specific antibiotic substances of a protein nature—bacteriocins, which can become an alternative to antibiotics and chemical preservatives.
The bacteriocinogeny of microorganisms emerged evolutionarily as an adaptation for survival in competitive conditions; this is one of the ways to occupy a suitable ecological niche and is a natural occurrence for most, if not all, species. The most studied bacteriocin, and the only antibiotic with a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status since 1998, is Nisin. It is recognized by the European Parliament as safe and is approved as a food additive (code E234). Nisin is widely used in many countries worldwide. It is produced by fermenting a medium using the selective strain Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis.
Lactococci are closely associated with food products, are among the most significant microorganisms, and some strains belong to the symbiotic human microbiota. The synthesis of bacteriocins in most cells of a population can be induced by various selection methods. Selection includes different approaches to achieve a set goal. These include isolating cultures from natural substrates, comparative assessment of producer activity and the selection of the most promising ones, experimental enhancement of culture activity, including classical methods of mutagenesis and genetic engineering manipulations. Recent studies have revealed the fundamental possibility of obtaining super-producers of biologically active substances, as well as strains with improved properties, by using the protoplast fusion method.
Research conducted at the Kazakh Research Institute of Processing and Food Industry (KazNII), in collaboration with Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU) and the All-Russian Research Institute of Refrigeration Industry, within the framework of project AP19678940, themed: “Development of a new technology for storing chilled poultry meat and poultry products using biological methods of preservation in combination with cold,” showed that the use of the bacteriocin Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis F-116 and lactic acid in antimicrobial coatings makes it possible to increase the shelf life of chilled poultry meat up to 20 days.
