Affiliation:
1. Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, India
Abstract
Natural, organic, and preservative-free foods are in high demand, and food quality control is essential for ensuring the safety, taste, appearance, and health value of food products throughout the supply chain. Microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) can be used as biomarkers for toxins and spoilage, and some MVOCs can be human carcinogens and neurotoxins. MVOCs are produced by microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi during physiological processes such as lipid oxidation, fermentation, and fruit ripening. They can lead to food spoilage and economic losses by affecting the sensory properties, composition, flavor, shelf life, and safety of foods. Food security is a complex issue that involves many fields, including agriculture, economics, public health, microbiology, chemistry, food engineering, and artificial intelligence. Stakeholders should address the gaps in MVOC detection to revisit and upgrade food regulations. Given the health risks and economic implications, this chapter provides insight into MVOC-associated emerging technologies for regulatory assessments.