Phage as control strategy against the foodborne pathogen, Bacillus cereus.

Abstract

Bacillus cereus is a significant foodborne pathogen due to its toxin production and resilient spores and biofilms that survive conventional sterilization methods. Bacteriophages and endolysins have shown considerable potential for controlling B. cereus in foods and on food-contact surfaces. Despite this, no recent review has comprehensively addressed phages as a control strategy against B. cereus. This review summarizes recent research on the application of B. cereus phages and endolysins in various food matrices and surfaces. Phage DZ1 reduced B. cereus counts by 4.21 log10 CFU/mL in milk after 6 h, with bacterial counts remaining undetectable for up to 72 h, while PlyB13S endolysin at 0.8 µM removed over 60% of B. cereus biofilms on polystyrene surfaces. The review also highlights strategies combining phages with germinants to target spores, as well as phage cocktails, engineering, and encapsulation approaches to overcome limitations such as a narrow host range and environmental instability.