CREDIT SEMINAR

APPLICATION OF
BACTERIOPHAGES IN FOOD
INDUSTRY
SUBMITTED BY
Shilviya Bhat
L-2019-V-24-M
Dept. of Livestock products
Technology
 Contents :
• Introduction
• Structure
• Types of bacteriophages & replication
• Discovery
• Application
• Commercial products
• Phage Biocontrol for Targeting Common Foodborne Bacterial
Pathogens
• Benefits
• Limitations
• References
• conclusion
 Introduction

• Microbial spoilage is by far the most common type of food spoilage

encountered. Even with current preservation methods and good
manufacturing practices, quality control, and hygiene, an estimated 25% of
the total food produced every year is lost due to microbial damage.
(Zachary et al 2018 )
• Foodborne illnesses are a major cause of morbidity and mortality
worldwide
• Definition : Obligate intracellular viruses that multiply inside bacteria by
changing the metabolism of host cell.
• most abundant organisms on the planet with approximately 1031 particles
existing
• approximately 1015 phage particles populating the human intestinal tract
• have been isolated from a variety of foods, fruits and vegetables to meat
and dairy products, often in very high numbers, e.g., up to 1 × 10 9 PFU/mL
in yogurt
 STRUCTURE

• Typical phage is tadpole or sperm like in structure with

1) a head - enclosing nucleic acid in a protein sheath and
2) a tail – hollow tube of proteins bearing tail plate and tail fibres at the
bottom
• carry only genetic information needed for replication of nucleic acid
and synthesis of their protein coats
• Tailed double stranded DNA (ds DNA) phages
• phages consist of nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat.
(Hudson et al. (2005),

Electron micrograph of bacteriophage

Bacteriophages have been distributed into following 13
families :
 Classification of bacteriophages

• Divided in 2 groups according to type of infection :

• Virulent phages : do not integrate their genetic material into host
cell chromosome ; usually kill the host cells ( lytic infection ) e.g.
T-phages of E.coli
• Temperate phages may integrate into host DNA , causing lysogeny.
• Phages that strictly follow the Lytic Cycle are more applicable in
the food industry
• Lytic phages undergo “autodosing” (exponential increases in the
population of phages due to repetitive lytic replication cycles)
TWO PHASES OF BACTERIOPHAGE
REPLICATION :

Lytic phages:

step 1 attachment

step 2 injection of phage DNA into

the bacterial host

step 3 replication of phage DNA, and

production of new capsid

step 4 assembly of phages

step 5, release of mature phages

(lysis).
Lysogenic cycle :
 Contd..
• Tailed phages use two enzymes for the lysis of the host cell :
1) Lysin—an enzyme capable of degrading cell wall peptidoglycan
2) Holin— an enzyme that assembles pores in inner membrane to let
lysin reach the peptidoglycan layer

• Number of new phages released per infected cell is called the

―”burst size

Maturatio
Genome penetration in latent period ( copies of lysis
Adsorption n
host cell
phages formed )
 Discovery of Bacteriophages

• Ernest Hankin ( 1896 ) observed antibacterial activity (against Vibrio cholerae) in

Ganges and Jumna rivers ( India )
• suggested that an unidentified substance -responsible for this phenomenon and for
limiting spread of cholera.
• Frederick Twort ( 1916) reported similar phenomenon but did not pursue his
findings.
• In 1916, Felix d’Herelle officially discovered “bacteriophages”
• made bacterium-free filtrates’ from fecal samples of dysentery patients
• incubated them with Shigella strains isolated from patients
• spread on agar medium observed the appearance of small, clear areas, which he
initially called taches/plaques
Felix d'Herelle
 Application in food industry :

• Phages have four main applications in the food

industry (Sillankorva et al, 2012):
1.Therapy – reduce colonization in living animals
during production
2.Sanitation – disinfect food contact surfaces and
equipment
3.Control – reduce colonization on food products at
processing facilities
4.Preservation – prevent contamination and
pathogen growth on foods during storage and
transportation 
• last three are very applicable in the meat industry
 Different applications in meat industry :

1. BIOPRESERVATIVE :

E. coli O157:H7 : pathogenic bacteria related

with contamination in the meat industry.
• L. monocytogenes isolates present in bovine
carcasses and meat processing facilities (
Peccio et al., 2003; von Laer et al., 2009)
• Salmonella-targeting bacteriophage
preparation applied to feathers of live poultry
prior to slaughter.
• preparation of six lytic-phages against Listeria
monocytogenes used on ready-to-eat (RTE)
poultry products.
 Applications in meat industry

2. WASTE WATER TREATMENT :

• control environmental wastewater process
problems in meat processing plants such as:
• foaming in activated sludge plants
• sludge dewaterability and digestibility
• reduce competition between nuisance bacteria
and functionally important microbial
population
• phage treatment of sludge may provide long
term and cost effective control of potentially
pathogenic bacteria (e.g. E. coli and
Salmonella).
3. BIOSANITIZATION :

• Cocktail phage mixture, referred as BEC8 on enterohemorrhagic

Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 strains applied on stainless steel chips
(SSC), ceramic tile chips (CTC), and high density polyethylene chips
(HDPEC)
• Low level of EHEC seen after 1 hour at room temperature. ( Stelio &
Mastura et al 2010 )
• PhageGuard Listex -Listeria monocytogenes
• PhageGuard S – Salmonella both used for decontamination of
surfaces.
• Two US companies commercialize products for the disinfection of
surfaces against Salmonella (BacWash™) and E. coli O157:H7
(Finalyse™).
 4. Removal of biofilms
• Bacterial biofilms : complex communities of bacteria attached
to surface ; surrounded by extracellular polymeric material.
• bacteriophages protects involved bacteria from environmental
damages, antimicrobial agents, host immune defenses
(Flemming and Wingender, 2010).
• lytic proteins : endolysins and virion-associated peptidoglycan
hydrolases (VAPGHs) -antimicrobial agents against pathogens
(Schmelcher et al., 2012; Rodríguez-Rubio et al., 2013)
• phage-encoded proteins with polysaccharide depolymerase
activity used as anti-biofilm agents
(Cornelissen et al., 2011; Gutiérrez et al., 2012b, 2015a).
• lytic phages are mainly used in commercial preparations
• exclude temperate phages because :
1. less effective than lytic phages at killing their bacterial
hosts.
2. capable of integrating their DNA into bacterial
chromosome
3. can potentially promote the transfer of virulence genes
or other undesirable genes phage resistant bacterial
strains
Contd..
• lytic bacteriophages can be used both
• pre-harvest (e.g. in live animals, administered via animal feed
or spray-applied prior to slaughter)
• post-harvest (e.g., applied directly to food surfaces via direct
spraying, packaging materials)
• bacteriophages have been applied to predominantly post-
harvest foods, particularly meats, fresh produce and RTE (ready
to eat ) foods .
Bacteriophage Preparations as Commercial Products

• In 2006, first approval for a bacteriophage

preparation used directly in food supply was issued
by FDA for  L. monocytogenes-specific cocktail
ListShield™ as food additive.
• Listeria-specific preparation Listex™ (currently
PhageGuard Listex™) regarded as GRAS
• ( generally regarded as safe substance ) by FDA.
• SalmoFresh™ and PhageGuard S™) have been
granted GRAS designation by FDA.
Company Phage product Target organism(s) Regulatory Certificatio
n
FINK TEC Gmbh Secure Shield E1 E.coli FDA ,GRN 724 pending
( Hamm , as of 19 March 2018
Germany)

Ecolicide® Escherichia USDA,FSIS Directive

(Ecolicide PX™) coli O157:H7 7120.1
Ecoshield PX™ Escherichia FDA, FCN 1018;Israel Kosher,
coli O157:H7 Ministry of Health , Halal
Health Canada

Intralytix , Inc. ListShield™ Listeria FDA,21 CFR Kosher,

(Baltimore , monocytogenes 172.785;FDA,GRN Halal,OM
MD,USA) 528;EPA Reg.No.74234- RI
1; Israel Ministry of
Health , Health Canada

SalmoFresh™ Salmonella spp. FDA,GRN 435;USDA Kosher,

FSIS Directive Halal,OM
7120.1;Israel Ministry of RI
Health , Health Canada

ShigaShield™ Shigella spp FDA,GRN 672

Company Phage product Target organism(s) Regulatory Certificatio
n

Micreos food safety Phageguard Listex Listeria monocytogenes FDA,GRN 198/218;FSANZ; EFSA;Swiss BAG, Kosher,
(Wageningen, Ministry of Health , Health Canada Halal,OMR
Netherlands ) I

Phageguard S™ Salmonella spp. FDA,GRN 468;FSANZ; EFSA;Swiss BAG,

Ministry of Health , Health Canada

Escherichia coli O157:H7 FDA ,GRN 757 pending as of 19 March 2018

Passport Food Safety Finalyse® Escherichia coli O157:H7 USDA, FSIS Directive 7120.1
Solutions (West Des
Moines, IA 50266
United States)

Phagelux ( Shanghai, AgriPhage ™ Xanthomonas campestris EPA Reg .No.67986-1

China) pv.vesicatoria

Finalyse® Salmonella spp. FDA ,GRN 603

Salmonella spp. FDA ,GRN 752 pending as of 19 March 2018

Company Phage product Target organism(s) Regulatory Certification

Micreos food safety Phageguard Listex Listeria monocytogenes FDA,GRN 198/218;FSANZ; Kosher,
(Wageningen, EFSA;Swiss BAG, Ministry of Halal,OMRI
Netherlands ) Health , Health Canada

Phageguard S™ Salmonella spp. FDA,GRN 468;FSANZ; EFSA;Swiss

BAG, Ministry of Health , Health
Canada

Escherichia coli O157:H7 FDA ,GRN 757 pending as of 19

March 2018

Passport Food Finalyse® Escherichia coli O157:H7 USDA, FSIS Directive 7120.1

Safety
Solutions (West Des
Moines, IA 50266
United States)

Phagelux AgriPhage ™ Xanthomonas campestris EPA Reg .No.67986-1

( Shanghai, China) pv.vesicatoria

Finalyse® Salmonella spp. FDA ,GRN 603

Salmonella spp. FDA ,GRN 752 pending as of 19

March 2018
 Common food borne pathogens :

Pathogen Symptoms Source of Infection

Salmonella enterica Salmonellosis: common Contaminated meats of

gastroenteritis, enteric fever, animal origin and fruits and
bacteremia. vegetables.
Campylobacter species Campylobacteriosis: severe Consumption of
acute gastroenteritis, linked undercooked/raw meat,
to the development of pasteurized milk, vegetables
Guillain-Barre syndrome. and environmental water.

E. coli O157:H7 Diarrhea, severe hemorrhagic Consumption of

colitis, hemorrhagic uremic contaminated undercooked
syndrome. foods of bovine origin.

Listeria monocytogenes Listeriosis: nausea, vomiting, Primarily through

abortion, fetal death, consumption of RTE foods.
speticemia, meningitis.
Pathogen Symptoms
Cornobacter sakazakii Nectrotizing
enterocolitis,meningitis
and bacteremia in nenates
and infants.
Mycobacterium vium Implicated as a causative
subsp. agent of Crohn’s disease in
humans.
Clostridium perfringens Gas gangrene and necrotic
enteritis in humans and
animals.
Staphylococcus aureus Gastroenteritis
Shigella Shigelleosis: bloody
diarrhea, fever, stomach
cramps, inflammatory
enteritis.
Source of Infection
Contaminated powdered
infant formula (infection
in infants).
Consumption of
contaminated dairy
products such as milk.
Consumption of
contaminated poultry
product.
Consumption of
contaminated meat,
poultry and dairy
products.
Consumption of
contaminated water,
vegetables, milk, dairy,
poultry
Phage Biocontrol for Targeting Common Foodborne
Bacterial Pathogens

1. Listeria monocytogenes
• L. monocytogenes is able to survive and grow at refrigerated
temperatures (2–8 °C) commonly used during storage of many foods.
• Chibeu and colleagues (2013) demonstrated that monophage
preparation was able to reduce L. monocytogenes on the surface of
other deli meats.
• Control L. monocytogenes in meat products under “storage abuse”
conditions ( when frozen products are intentionally or unintentionally
thawed multiple times during their storage )
Salmonella

• bacteriophage cocktail significantly reduce numbers of a mixture

of Salmonella species when applied directly to the surface of the chicken
breast fillets

• Single phage, SJ2, significantly reduced the amount of Salmonella in

liquid egg and ground pork
 E.coli
• Shiga toxin producing E. coli serotype O157:H7 found in contaminated
water or foods especially beef cause severe gastroenteritis.
• E. coli-specific phage preparations : cocktail of all three virulent phages
resulted in a 5-log-unit reduction of pathogen numbers in 1hour at 37°C .
(Flynn et al 2004 )
Bacterium Phages Notes

Bacillus cereus BCP1-1 Bacillus cereus counts decreased after treatment with a single phage in fermented soya bean paste
without affecting Bacillus subtilis, a critical component of the fermentation process.

Campylobacter jejuni Φ2 Counts of Campylobacter were reduced by ~1 log on the surface of chicken skin stored at 4 °C after
the application of a single phage.

Campylobacter C. jejuni typing C. jejuni levels decreased ~2 logs on experimentally-contaminated chicken skin after application of
jejuni; page 12673, phage at a MOI of 100:1 or 1000:1. Salmonella levels were reduced by ~2 logs on chicken skin
Salmonella spp. P22, treated with phage at an MOI of either 100:1 or 1000:1 and stored for 48 h; bacterial counts were
29C; Salmonell reduced below the limit of detection when lower levels of bacteria were used to contaminate the
a typing phage chicken.
12

Campylobacter Cj6; P7 Campylobacter levels significantly decreased in beef after application of the phage Cj6, and
jejuni; decreases in bacterial levels were not significant at low levels of bacterial contamination (~100
Salmonella spp. CFU/cm2). Salmonella counts were decreased ~2–3 logs at 5 °C and >5.9 logs at 24 °C in raw and
cooked beef after P7 phage application. Surviving Salmonella colonies were still sensitive to P7. For
both phages, the killing of bacteria was higher at an MOI of 10,000:1 and ~10,000 CFU/cm 2 of
bacteria.

Cronobacter ESP 1-3, ESP In infant formula, Cronobacter sakazakii (formerly Enterobacter sakazakii) levels were decreased
sakazakii 732-1 after phage addition. The reduction was dependent on the phage concentration, and the phages were
more effective at 24 °C than 37 °C or 12 °C.
Bacterium Phages Notes

Escherichia e11/2, pp01, e4/1c After incubation at 37 °C, a three-phage cocktail used to treat the surface
coli O157:H7 of beef that was contaminated (103 CFU/g) with E. coli O157:H7
eliminated the bacterium from a majority of the treated specimens.

Escherichia EcoShield™ E. coli 0157:H7 levels decreased by ~1–3 logs, or were reduced below the
coli O157:H7 (formerly ECP- limits of detection, on tomatoes, broccoli or spinach after treatment with a
100) phage cocktail, while E. coli O157:H7 levels were decreased by ~1 log
when the phages were applied to ground beef.

Escherichia EcoShield™ A phage cocktail applied to experimentally contaminated lettuce and cut
coli O157:H7 (formerly ECP- cantaloupe significantly reduced E. coli O157:H7 levels by up to 1.9 and
100) 2.5 logs, respectively.

Escherichia Cocktail BEC8 At various temperatures (4, 8, 23 and 37 °C), the phage cocktail
coli O157:H7 significantly reduced the level of E. coli O157:H7 on leafy green
vegetables by ~2–4 logs. The inclusion of an essential oil (trans-
cinnamaldehyde) increased this effect.

Escherichia EcoShield™ The levels of E. coli O157:H7 were reduced by ≥94% and ~87% on the
coli O157:H7 (formerly ECP- surface of experimentally contaminated beef and lettuce, respectively,
100) after addition of the phage cocktail; however, the single treatment did not
protect foods after recontamination with the same bacteria (i.e., phage
biocontrol had no continued technical effect on the foods)

Escherichia EcoShield™ After a 30 min phage treatment at both 4 and 10 °C, levels of E.
coli O157:H7 (formerly ECP- coli O157:H7 decreased by >2 logs on leafy greens under both ambient
100) and modified atmosphere packaging storage.
Bacterium Phages Notes

Listeria monocytogenes A511, PhageGuard Listex™ Levels of Listeria in experimentally contaminated chocolate milk and mozzarella cheese brine were eradicated
(formerly Listex™; P100) after phage treatment at 6 °C. When the phage cocktail was applied to various solid foods, including sliced
cabbage, iceberg lettuce leaves, smoked salmon, mixed seafood, hot dogs, and sliced turkey meat, a reduction
of Listeria of up to 5 logs was observed.

Listeria monocytogenes PhageGuard Listex™ Listeria counts decreased by 1.8–3.5 logs after application of a single phage at ~108 PFU/g to the surface of raw
(formerly Listex™; P100) salmon fillets that were stored at 4 °C or 22 °C.

Listeria monocytogenes PhageGuard Listex™ Levels of Listeria decreased by 1.4–2.0 logs CFU/g at 4 °C, 1.7–2.1 logs CFU/g at 10 °C, and 1.6–2.3 logs CFU/g
(formerly Listex™; P100) at room temperature (22 °C) after application a single phage to the surface of raw catfish fillets. Regrowth was not
observed after ten days of storage at either 4 °C or 10 °C.

A511 The natural microbial community on soft cheese was maintained after addition of the phage. Levels of Listeria on
experimentally contaminated cheese decreased by 2 logs and additional phage administrations did not improve the
Listeria monocytogenes reduction of Listeria.

FWLLm1 Listeria levels decreased by 1–2 logs on the surface of experimentally contaminated chicken stored in vacuum
packages at 4 °C or 30 °C. Subsequent regrowth of Listeria was observed at 30 °C, but not at 4 °C.
Listeria monocytogenes

PhageGuard Listex™ Counts of Listeria decreased by ~3 logs in experimentally contaminated queso fresco cheese after the addition of
(formerly Listex™; P100) a single phage; however, subsequent growth was observed. Regrowth was prevented, and a similar log reduction
was observed when PL + SD were included with the phage. Reduction of Listeria was lower, and regrowth
Listeria monocytogenes occurred when LAE was included with phage.

PhageGuard Listex™ Compared to PL or PL + SD, a single phage was most effective at decreasing Listeria levels on RTE roast beef
(formerly Listex™; P100) and turkey after storage at 4 °C or 10 °C, and subsequent bacterial growth was observed at both temperatures.
Similar log reductions occurred when PL or PL + SD were used in conjunction with the phage, and regrowth was
Listeria monocytogenes prevented or diminished at both 4 °C and 10 °C.
Bacterium Phages Notes

Salmonella spp. wksl3 Salmonella counts decreased by ~3 logs on chicken skin after application of a single phage, and no further
decrease in bacterial levels was observed over the next seven days at 8 °C. Further, mice that received a
single dose of phage orally displayed no adverse effects.

Salmonella spp. Five phages The levels of Salmonella decreased by ~1 log on chicken skin after application of a five-phage cocktail
comprised of closely related phages. The reduction of bacteria achieved by the phages was comparable to
three different chemical antimicrobials.

Salmonella spp. P22 After the administration of a single temperate phage and storage at 4 °C, levels of Salmonella decreased
by ~0.5–2 logs on chicken, below the limits of detection in whole and skimmed milk, ~3 logs in apple
juice, ~2 logs in liquid egg, and ~2 logs in an energy drink.

Salmonella spp. SalmoFresh The stability of a Salmonella-specific phage preparation was determined in various chemical
™ antimicrobials. Treatment of chicken breast fillets with a combination of phages and individual chemical
antimicrobials did not produce a synergistic effect on the reduction of Salmonella; however, application of
chlorine or PAA followed by spraying with phages significantly reduced Salmonella from chicken skin by
up to 2.5 logs, compared to use of chlorine, low levels of PAA, or phage alone (0.5–1.5 logs).

Salmonella spp. SalmoFresh Treatment of chicken breast fillets by dipping or surface application of a Salmonella-specific
™ bacteriophage preparation and storage at 4 °C significantly reduced Salmonella contamination by up to
0.9 log; further, storing the meat in modified atmospheric packaging after surface application produced a
higher reduction in bacterial counts (up to 1.2 logs).

Salmonella spp. SalmoLyse® A phage cocktail was sprayed onto experimentally contaminated raw pet food ingredients, including
chicken, tuna, turkey, cantaloupe, and lettuce, and reduced the levels of the targeted bacteria by ~0.4–1.1
logs.

Salmonella spp. SJ2 Application of the phage SJ2 significantly reduced Salmonella colonies recovered from experimentally
contaminated ground pork and eggs with a larger reduction observed at room temperature, compared to 4
°C. After treatment, Salmonella colonies were screened for phage resistance, and significantly more
phage-resistant Salmonella isolates were recovered from eggs, compared with ground pork.
 Benefits of bacteriophage application in food industry
:
•Ubiquitous in nature
•High specificity when targeting bacteria, which leaves human,
animal and plant cells as well as “beneficial bacteria” untouched 
•Are self-replicating and self-limiting microorganisms, meaning that
they will continue to replicate and kill bacteria as long as their
target bacteria is present .
•Continuously mutating and adapting to their bacterial hosts’
defense mechanisms 
•Cocktails of different phages have been shown to be effective
together 
•Approved by both the FDA and USDA and certified GRAS
•Shown to work on a wide range of temperatures including
refrigeration 
 Contd…

• Shown to work well on biofilms 

• Impart no taste or smell on food
products
• No worker safety issues
• Non-corrosive to equipment and
environmental surfaces
• Generally carry a positive perception
with consumers since other “good
microorganism” are known to aid in
the production of alcoholic beverages,
yogurt and fermented meat products.
Challenges for Bacteriophage Biocontrol

1. Technical Challenges :
• using bacteriophages on meat products drop the bacterial
load initially ; no further reduction in bacteria occurs
afterwards.
• Efficacy of phages is less in drier food matrixes ( passive
movement of phages across food surfaces is limited due to
the lack of moisture ) phage solution with higher
concentrations of phage particles in mist sprays should be
used
• number of chemical sanitizers are capable of inactivating
phages therefore use proper synergistic combinations e.g use
of peracetic acid along with phages won’t have a significant
effect.
Technical challenges :

• Single monophages produces phage-resistant bacterial

isolates
• To avoid this cocktail phages preparations are mostly used
commercially
• Completely ineffective if targeted bacteria are not present
• Vulnerable to all factors that can harm bacteria such as: heat,
salt, low pH, and sanitizers
• Requires moisture to help transport
• Sensitive to UV light
• Resistant to dilute mercuric chloride solution and sensitive to
dyes like methylene blue .
2. Customer Acceptance :

• unfamiliar techniques, e.g. “spraying viruses onto their food” have

less customer acceptancy.
•  reluctance in purchasing foods treated with chemical sanitizers and
antibiotics or foods that are “genetically modified” 
Problem Solution
1. Narrow host range of phages Determine the phage susceptibility of the
etiologic agent before using phages
commercially.
Use polyvalent phage cocktails which lyse
the majority of strains of the etiologic
agent.
2. Insufficient purity of phage preparations Ion-exchange chromatography, high-speed
centrifugation should be used to obtain
phage preparations of high purity.
3. Poor stability and/or viability of phage Advanced purification techniques can be
preparations. used to purify phages and to ensure that
they are bacterium free.
4. Lack of understanding of the Carefully select for lytic phages. This is
heterogeneity and mode of action of also critical for avoiding the possible
phages (i.e., lytic vs lysogenic phages ) horizontal transfer of bacterial toxin.
 Recent data :

• PepsiCo has been seeking a creative way to

prevent fruit juice spoilage, due to a bacterium
called Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris (ACB) to
selectively destroy the pasteurization-resistant
ACB. ( 15th Jan 2021 )
• PHAGE: Therapy, Applications, and Research is
the only peer-reviewed journal dedicated to
fundamental bacteriophage research and its
applications in agriculture, aquaculture, veterinary
applications, animal production, food safety, and
food production RELEASE DATE 4-JAN-2021
• PUBLISHED BY :
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers
Journal involves :

• The Application of Bacteriophage Diagnostics for Bacterial

Pathogens in the Agricultural Supply Chain: From Farm-to-
Fork
• Effectiveness of Bacteriophages Against Biofilm
• Rare virulent Clostridium perfringens Bacteriophage
Susfortuna Is the First Isolated Bacteriophage in a New Viral
Genus
Recent data

• Use of bacteriophages in food from animal origin was

evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in
2009.
• In 2014, the FDA cleared ListShieldTM, which is a mixture
of six different phages specific for L. monocytogenes
• use of PhageGuard Listex for removing L. monocytogenes
from raw fish was assessed in 2012.
Recent data

• In 2006, the U.S. FDA approved PhageGuard LISTEXTM P100 to

control L. monocytogenes growth in cheeses
• No commercial phage products are currently available for use
against Campylobacter, The 
Campylobacter-Specific Nullification via Innovative Phage-mediated
Enteropathogen Reduction (C-SNIPER) project led by the Spanish
technology center, AZTI, developed a phage product
targeting Campylobacter ( commercially available in 2years )
CONCLUSION :

• Bacteriophage biocontrol : serve as an additional tool in a

multi-hurdle approach and can be used along with other
methods of meat preservation
• effective method to eliminate, or significantly reduce the
levels of specific bacterial pathogens from food.
• method is especially promising when only beneficial
microbial population of foods are to be preserved.
• spraying directly during food production,, rinsing of food
contact surfaces in processing facilities, and treatment of
post-harvest food products, including RTE foods. 
 References

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mixture. International journal of food microbiology, 145(1), 37-42.
• Ravi, Y., Pooja, Kolar, M. and Yadav, K.D.K., Review- Bacteriophages in Food Preservation, Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 5(3): 197-205 (2017).
• Flynn, G., Ross, R. P., Fitzgerald, G. F., Coffey, A., Evaluation of a cocktail of three bacteriophages for biocontrol of Escherischia coli O157: H7. Appl Environ.
Microbiol. 70: 3417–24 (2004).
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Salmonella enterica serovars. Food Control, 38, 67-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.foodcont.2013.09.064
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Research, 2(5), 404-414.
• Moye, Z. D., Woolston, J., & Sulakvelidze, A. (2018). Bacteriophage applications for food production and processing. Viruses, 10(4), 205.
• Chibeu, A., Agius, L., Gao, A., Sabour, P. M., Kropinski, A. M., & Balamurugan, S. (2013). Efficacy of bacteriophage LISTEX™ P100 combined with chemical
antimicrobials in reducing Listeria monocytogenes in cooked turkey and roast beef. International journal of food microbiology, 167(2), 208-214.
• Perera, M. N., Abuladze, T., Li, M., Woolston, J., & Sulakvelidze, A. (2015). Bacteriophage cocktail significantly reduces or eliminates Listeria monocytogenes
contamination on lettuce, apples, cheese, smoked salmon and frozen foods. Food microbiology, 52, 42-48.
• Duc, H. M., Son, H. M., Honjoh, K. I., & Miyamoto, T. (2018). Isolation and application of bacteriophages to reduce Salmonella contamination in raw chicken meat.
LWT, 91, 353-360.