Food antimicrobials are used increasingly as a
primary intervention for inhibition or inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms
in foods. The use of naturally occurring anti-microbials in the
food industry can help to reduce the addition of chemical preservatives,
as well as the intensity of heat treatment resulting in food that is more
naturally preserved and better in sensorial and nutritional properties.
LAB have shown to be natural effective anti-microbials in foods, including
some traditional fermented African products. For example, it was
shown that during the production of ergo, an Ethiopian fermented
milk, Salmonella enteritedis was reduced by 4 log after 48 h, whereas
Escherichia coli decreased by 3.2 log CFU/ml after 72 h of fermentation