In the food science field, the term “antimicrobial” basically refers to active substances of synthetic or natural origin, that are directly or indirectly present in a specific food, packaging material or food contact surface that affect the viability or the growth of microorganisms in that matrix. Preserving food by applying synthetic preservatives such as weak organic acids, oxidizing or polymeric substances has been widely used in the food industry. However, in the last years, increasing concerns over negative effects on health due to those synthetic preservatives, have motivated the scientific community to focus its efforts on natural preservatives. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to carry out in-depth studies to be able to unravel numerous effects and potentialities hitherto unknown. Consequently, this special issue deals with research manuscripts on the use of natural antimicrobials for food preservation and food packaging.
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