Ensuring a high quality and safe food supply is a complex problem that spans numerous steps along the way from the production of food to ultimate consumption by the consumer. Outbreaks of food poisoning episodes produced by pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, Listeria and Escherchia coli (and others) are well known on a global basis. At a minimum these food borne episodes produce temporary gastrointestinal distress and related symptoms and at worst can lead to death. It is estimated that a few million deaths occur annually as a result of these.
ABN technology has been used to stabilize and protect a couple of commonly utilized materials that are used to combat food borne illnesses. As antibiotic resistance becomes an increasingly important issue, new approaches to preventing bacterial food contamination are being explored and developed. Protection, stabilization and delivery of agents used to help ensure food safety will become more important in the future. ABN technology may well help in developing innovative and novel approaches to addressing food safety concerns.