Bio-preservation of Foods: A Review

Biopreservatives are commonly used in food products to satisfy the increasing demand of consumers with increasing advancement in food and technology. The foods with chemical preservatives are now being neglected by the people and they prefer products which are generally recognized as safe (GRAS). Thus, as a result food industry is using naturally produced preservatives to increase the shelf life of product without any new technology. The most commonly used bio-preservatives are bacteriocins, essential oils, herbs and spices, vinegar, fermentation and sugar and salt. They exhibit growth inhibition of various microorganisms when added at different concentrations so as to preserve food products. These preservatives have been tested under laboratory conditions to know their apt use. This review provides an overview of the importance of bio-preservatives as per the increasing demand of consumers.