Introduction to postbiotics: definitions, history, and composition categories

Apuntes

LWT - Food Science and Technology 241 (2026) 119066 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect LWT journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/lwt Postbiotics for improving food quality and safety: From mechanistic insights to industrial applications Sarika Vishnu Pawar , Shlomo Sela Saldinger , Moshe Shemesh* Department of Food Science, Institute for Postharvest and Food Sciences, The Volcani Institute, Agriculture Research Organization, Rishon LeZion, 7528809, Israel A B S T R A C T Growing consumer demand for nutritious, safe, and sustainable foods is accelerating the shift toward green preservation technologies and bio-based additives. Among natural microbial derivatives, postbiotics—the non-viable microbial cells, metabolites, and cell components released after cell lysis—are emerging as stable and safe bioprotective agents. Unlike live probiotics or prebiotics, postbiotics are environmentally resilient, free from infectivity risks, and retain their functional bioactivity under industrial processing conditions. Their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties support their broad application in food safety enhancement and biopreservation. This review brings togeth...