Bacteriophages in the Dairy Industry: A Problem Solved?

Abstract

Bacteriophages (or phages) represent one of the most persistent threats to food fermentations, particularly large-scale commercial dairy fermentations. Phages infecting lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that are used as starter cultures in dairy fermentations are well studied, and in recent years there have been significant advances in defining the driving forces of LAB–phage coevolution. The means by which different starter bacterial species defend themselves against phage predation and the chromosomal or plasmid location of the genes encoding these defense mechanisms have dictated the technological approaches for the development of robust starter cultures. In this review, we highlight recent advances in defining phage–host interactions and how phage resistance occurs in different bacterial species. Furthermore, we discuss how these insights continue to transform the dairy fermentation industry and how they also are anticipated to guide food fermentations involving plant-based alternatives in the future. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, Volume 14 is March 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Dynamics of the viral community on the surface of a French smear-ripened cheese during maturation and persistence across production years

“…This result therefore raises questions about the overall impact of phages on bacterial successions in cheese during ripening. However, it is important to note that phage susceptibility is generally strain dependent, as demonstrated in previous studies on LAB strains (summarized in reference 46 ) and in undefined starter cultures where multiple strains of the same species stably coexist with distinct phages ( 47 – 49 ). The narrow host range observed for phages infecting ripening bacteria recently isolated from cheese rind also corroborates this result ( 32 , 34 ).…”

Dynamics of the viral community on the surface of a French smear-ripened cheese during maturation and persistence across production years

“…This co-occurrence pattern raises questions about the overall impact of phages on bacterial successions in cheese during ripening. However, it is important to note that phage susceptibility is generally strain-dependent, as demonstrated in previous studies on LAB strains (summarized in (46)) and in undefined starter cultures where multiple strains of the same species stably co-exist with distinct phages (47)(48)(49). The narrow host range observed for phages infecting ripening bacteria recently isolated from cheese rind also corroborates this result (32,34).…”

Carbohydrate-active enzyme profiles of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strain 84-3 contribute to flavor formation in fermented dairy and vegetable products

“…There is growing evidence that bacteriophages in fermented foods can directly affect the flavor and quality through their interactions with fermenting bacteria ( White et al, 2022 , Du et al, 2023 ). Previous studies have also indicated that the aroma from volatile acids such as acetic and propionic acids in starter cultures may be lost because of the destruction of aroma bacteria by specific phage strains ( Ortiz, de, van, van, van, & Mahony, 2023 ). For example, Oenococcus oeni bacteriophages in wine may affect malolactic fermentation by interacting with the host bacteria ( Costantini, Doria, Saiz, & Garcia-Moruno, 2017 ).…”