Bacteriophage-assisted non-thermal food processing (BANTFP) is a potential biocontrol strategy for reducing foodborne pathogens while preserving product quality. When used simultaneously or sequentially with novel non-thermal food processing technologies, phages can contribute to the reduction of the microbes (typically 1–3 Δlog, but up to 5–8 Δlog in optimized multi-hurdle systems). However, the current evidence is fragmented and strongly biased toward high-pressure studies, whereas data for the use of pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, and cold atmospheric plasma remain limited. Key challenges include phage stability under processing conditions, their interactions with complex food matrices, and the risk of resistance development of the target bacteria. Further research is required to identify optimal treatment sequences, quantify true synergistic effects, and evaluate performance in realistic food environments. Such efforts are essential to refine phage–NTFP combinations, ensuring their efficiency and regulatory acceptance at industrial scale and contributing to safe, innovative and sustainable food processing systems. • Phage biocontrol approaches can assist innovative non-thermal food processing. • New hurdle technologies use synergistic effects in food pathogens inactivation. • Bacteriophage-assisted non- thermal food processing (BANTFP) maintains food quality. • BANTFP selectively targets pathogens while preserving beneficial microorganisms. • BANTFP is an alternative to chemical preservatives and thermal treatments.

Transforming the agri-food system requires a deep understanding of food structure, oral processing, and structural breakdown during digestion. Current gaps include the molecular characterization of the major food constituents, process-structure-texture interactions, and digestion behavior. A comprehensive scientific understanding of linking these areas is essential for plant-based food texture engineering, especially analogues to animal-based products. Advances in foodomics enhance the full characterization of raw materials. Non-invasive, multiscale food structure analysis is important, but there is a further need for the development of in-operando imaging techniques. Extracting fundamental mechanical properties during oral processing is still challenging. Texture and sensory perception depend on complex, multiscale interactions, not just structure and must be assessed by novel biophysical approaches. Existing static and dynamic in-vitro models are widely applied and valuable for studying digestion kinetics, but they cannot replicate the full complexity of physiological conditions. However, they remain essential for the rational design of plant-based foods. • Transforming food systems requires a new understanding of food structure • Food structure governs texture, oral processing and breakdown during digestion • Acomprehensive picture is essential for plant-based food texture engineering • New development of spatially and time-resolved imaging techniques is needed • Oral breakdown and in vitro digestion models need to be improved

Recent outbreaks and recalls linked to Listeria monocytogenes in fresh produce have raised serious food safety concerns, underscoring the need to understand its survival and persistence in processing environments. This review discusses recent produce-related outbreaks and examines the implications of zero-tolerance regulatory policies. It explores emerging and sometimes conflicting findings on L. monocytogenes survival under adverse conditions during handling and processing operations. The review highlights biofilm formation on various surfaces as a key factor in the pathogen’s persistence and resistance to eradication. It also addresses environmental adaptation via the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state. Additionally, interactions between L. monocytogenes and the surrounding microbiota, including microbial succession, quorum sensing, and competitive exclusion, are discussed as part of a dynamic ecological process. By synthesizing findings from the past five years, this review identifies some gaps and proposes targeted directions for future research. • Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks and recalls in fresh produce threaten food safety. • L. monocytogenes faces little competition once introduced in processing environments. • Orientation of contact surface influences survival of L. monocytogenes . • Surface topography and nutrient availability promote L. monocytogenes persistence. • VBNC state emphasizes disinfection resilience and persistence in produce environments. • Microbiota and L. monocytogenes interactions can favour persistence.

Environmental monitoring of postharvest facilities is an integral part of microbial food safety management. Contamination of foods traced to the processing or packing environment, due to poor cleaning and sanitation or to the presence of resident microbial pathogen populations, is not uncommon. Environmental monitoring commonly performed targets specific microorganisms, either a hazard identified as relevant or an indicator, inevitably ignoring the environmental microbiota. In this review we discuss how a comprehensive view of the microbiota can actually improve our understanding of the effect of cleaning and sanitation programs, of the prevalence and ecology of foodborne pathogens within processing environments and assist in the identification of contamination sources.

The microbial organisms living in food and food systems have a key role in food processing, quality, safety, and even in human health promotion. This review aims to summarize recent advancements in the characterization of novel species from metagenomics data, with a focus on their relevance for food microbiology. We discuss the generation of metagenome-assembled genomes, a crucial step that facilitates comparative genomic analyses and development of databases for taxonomic profiling and functional potential characterization. We also highlight how these approaches enable new applications in food science and examine the broader implications of these findings to better understand the interactions between food and human health. Finally, we present key challenges that need to be addressed to fully characterize the hidden diversity of food microbiomes and to exploit their potential for innovation in food science and health-related applications.