Fermentation has been used for preserving foods for centuries prior to the invention of pasteurization and sterilization, and every culture has a variety of fermented products as part of its diet. This paper reviews the diversity of fermented foods and beverages from Latin America; these fermented products are produced by traditional methods that exploit mixed cultures of various nonpathogenic microorganisms. Fermented foods covered in this review include maize, cassava, palm sap, sugar cane juice, cocoa, and milk. We explore the history of some Colombian fermented foods and beverages, which are today part of the tradition of some ethnic groups, and evaluate their technology, microbiology, the presence of some nutritional factors, and safety concerns. To the best of our knowledge, this is the 1st systematic review on Colombian fermented beverages and foods, and we believe that it may contribute to valorize these products that are still part of the Latin America tradition.

Microbial biofilms represent a constant source of contamination in the food industry, being also a real threat for human health. In fact, most of biofilm-producing bacteria are becoming resistant to sanitizers, thus arousing the interest in natural alternatives to prevent biofilm formation on foods and food-contact surfaces. In particular, studies on biofilm control by essential oils (EOs) application are increasing, being EOs characterized by unique mixtures of compounds able to impair the mechanisms of biofilm development. This review reports the anti-biofilm properties of EOs in bacterial biofilm control (inhibition, removal and prevention of biofilm dispersion) on food-contact surfaces. The relationship between EOs effect and composition, concentration, involved bacteria, and surfaces is discussed, and the possible sites of action are also elucidated. The findings prove the high biofilm controlling capability of EOs through the regulation of genes and proteins implicated in motility, Quorum Sensing and exopolysaccharides (EPS) matrix. Moreover, incorporation in nanosized delivery systems, formulation of blends and combination of EOs with other strategies can increase their anti-biofilm activity. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of the EOs effectiveness in controlling bacterial biofilm on food-contact surfaces, providing valuable information for improving EOs use as sanitizers in food industries.