Potential Application of Postbiotics as a Natural Preservative in Cheese

The preservation of cheese has emerged as a significant concern for the international cheese sector, primarily due to microbial spoilage and the implications of chemical preservatives on human health. Contemporary preservation methodologies encompass sophisticated technologies such as non-thermal processing techniques, innovative packaging solutions, and natural preservatives (encompassing probiotics and postbiotics). Postbiotics are defined as soluble entities (either direct products or metabolic byproducts) that are secreted by living bacteria or released subsequent to bacterial lysis; these include enzymes, peptides, teichoic acids, muropeptides derived from peptidoglycan, polysaccharides, cell surface proteins, and organic acids. The interest in these postbiotics is attributed to their well-defined chemical structures, established safe dose thresholds, long shelf lives, and the presence of diverse signaling molecules that may exhibit nutritional properties (such as cholesterol absorption, degradation of undesirable or antioxidative substances along with increased antioxidant potential or antioxidant compounds). They are intended to enhance food quality and safety through biological control of pathogens and fungi in food, degradation, and removal of mycotoxins and bacterial toxins, biofortification of foods, and enhancement of sensory evaluation criteria. This review highlights the potential of postbiotics as natural preservatives in cheese.