Antimicrobial delivery systems

There is increasing interest in the production of delivery systems to encapsulate natural antimicrobial compounds to increase their antimicrobial efficiency, and also to reduce their interactions with food components and inactivation in the food matrix. Such interest in use of natural antimicrobials in foods is a result of consumer preference for clean-label products, which places demands upon the food industry to replace traditional synthetic preservatives with natural alternatives. In this chapter, different antimicrobial delivery systems, which include nanoemulsions, nanoliposomes, solid-liquid polymeric and inorganic nanoparticles, and nanofibers, as well as their preparation methods, are reviewed. The relevant properties and advantages and disadvantages of different antimicrobial delivery systems are highlighted, and potential and current applications for these delivery systems are also discussed