Antimicrobial herb and spice compounds in food

Herbs and spices containing essential oils (EOs) in the range of 0.05–0.1% have demonstrated activity against pathogens, such as Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, in food systems. Application of herbs, spices and EOs with antimicrobial effects comparable to synthetic additives is still remote for three major reasons: limited data about their effects in food, strong odor, and high cost. Combinations of techniques have been successfully applied in several in-food and in vitro experiments. This paper aims to review recent in-food applications of EOs and plant-origin natural antimicrobials and recent techniques for screening such compounds.