A review on antimicrobial activities of some culinary herbs and spices against Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Food safety is of great importance all over the world as it concerns consumer health. All employees in the food chain must comply with the hygiene rules. One of the important issues that threaten food safety is contamination with microorganisms. Numerous people are affected by contaminated and/or poorly preserved food and outbreaks have occurred. The World Health Organization (WHO) draws attention to human health and economic losses in this respect. From ancient times, herbs and spices are utilized in Turkey and various parts of the world and improved the flavor of food and their sensory properties. It is also possible to prevent the development of Staphylococcus aureus, which causes food poisoning, thanks to the antibacterial properties of culinary herbs or spices. Natural antimicrobial substances from spices and herbs may be alternative strategies in inhibition/elimination of growth of and in food preservation of S. aureus extending the shelf life without synthetic preservatives. This review aims to explain foodborne diseases and their global burden, staphylococcal food poisoning, natural antimicrobials, some edible herbs in Turkey: their culinary uses and antibacterial efficacy against S. aureus.