Regulatory challenges and industrial applications of phages and phage-encoded enzymes for food safety

초록

Bacteriophages (phages) and phage-encoded enzymes, including endolysins, holins, and depolymerases, provide promising approaches to enhance food safety by targeting foodborne pathogens and preserving food quality. Phages are highly specific to their bacterial hosts, allowing them to eliminate harmful bacteria without affecting beneficial microbes, providing a significant advantage over traditional chemical preservatives. Phages and phage-encoded enzymes also reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance and promote ecological sustainability. However, despite their potential, regulatory hurdles limit their widespread use in the food industry. Challenges such as safety validation, efficacy testing, production standardization, and environmental assessments must be addressed for the approval and commercialization of phage-based alternatives. This review examines recent advancements in the regulatory procedures for phages and phage-encoded enzymes, emphasizing the ongoing challenges in safety evaluation and the need for production standardization. Furthermore, this review explores strategies to overcome these barriers, stressing the importance of global regulatory cooperation to enable the implementation of phage-based biocontrol methods. The resolution of these regulatory challenges is therefore crucial for realizing the potential of phage-based solutions in food safety.

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