Postbiotics As Bio-Preservatives for Meat: Systematic Evaluation of Microbiological Characteristics, Physicochemical Stability, and Sensory Quality Publisher



Abedini A ; Shokri S ; Sani M A ; Khezerlou A ; Nayebzadeh K ; Mortazavian A M
Source: Future Foods Published:2026

Abstract

Meat and meat products are highly perishable due to microbial growth, proteolysis, and lipid oxidation, while synthetic preservatives raise health and sustainability concerns. This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and antimicrobial mechanisms of postbiotics as natural biopreservatives in meat systems. According to the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) definition, a postbiotic is a preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers health benefit on the host. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a literature search was conducted on 31 December 2025 across PubMed, ScienceDirect, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science without time restrictions, yielding 911 records. After removing 388 duplicates and excluding 532 records by title/abstract screening, 91 full‑text articles were assessed, resulting in 45 included studies (quality assessed using ROBINS‑I). Lactic acid bacterium‑derived postbiotics, especially Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus , were the most effective, reducing pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‑N), and lipid oxidation (peroxide and TBARS values) while preserving sensory quality. Efficacy was strongly dependent on strain type and concentration. For example, L. plantarum at 1.5% v/v reduced Listeria monocytogenes by 5.6 log CFU/g in trout, whereas L. sakei required 40% to achieve a comparable anti‑listerial effect. In contrast, L. salivarius was effective against L. monocytogenes at a low concentration of 15 mg/mL, and L. helveticus at 30 mg/mL exhibited the highest antioxidant activity (98.33% DPPH scavenging). Therefore, postbiotic selection must be tailored to the target microorganism and meat matrix. In conclusion, postbiotics represent natural, safe, and multifunctional agents for improving the shelf‑life and sensory quality of meat products. However, a key limitation is the lack of comprehensive physicochemical and molecular profiling for individual postbiotics, underscoring the need for future research on detailed characterization and standardized preparation protocols. © 2026 The Author(s).