In summary, many EOs exhibit activity against foodborne
pathogens and spoilage organisms in vitro, and to a smaller degree,
in foods. Gram-positive organisms seem to be much more susceptible
to EOs than Gram-negative organisms. Future research
should focus on the effectiveness of different EOs in various food
matrices. Synergism between EOs and other compounds or with
other processing techniques will also need to be investigated before
they can be applied commercially.