{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T20:48:57Z","timestamp":1790023737719,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":102,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,25]],"date-time":"2025-04-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1745539200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI) under the 5th Call for HFRI PhD Fellowships","award":["19437"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["19437"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Foods"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The emergence of antimicrobial resistance among foodborne pathogens has intensified the search for alternative biocontrol strategies. Among these, essential oils (EOs) and bacteriophages have gained increasing attention, due to their natural origin and antimicrobial potential. This narrative review investigates their individual and combined use as innovative tools for improving food safety. We discuss the mechanisms of action, current food applications, and regulatory or technical limitations associated with both EOs and phages. Particular emphasis is placed on their complementary characteristics, which may enhance efficacy when used together. An in-depth analysis of five key studies investigating synergistic EO\u2013phage combinations against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella Typhimurium is presented. These studies, conducted in both in vitro and food-based systems, reveal that antimicrobial synergy is often dose- and temperature-dependent. Optimized combinations lead to enhanced bacterial reduction and reduced resistance development. However, several challenges remain, including sensory alterations in food products, phage inactivation by EO compounds, and host cell destruction at high EO doses. The review concludes that while EOs and phages face limitations when applied independently, their strategic combination shows substantial promise. Future research should focus on formulation development, delivery systems, and regulatory alignment to unlock their full synergistic potential.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/foods14091508","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,25]],"date-time":"2025-04-25T10:42:09Z","timestamp":1745577729000},"page":"1508","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":20,"title":["Synergistic Approaches to Foodborne Pathogen Control: A Narrative Review of Essential Oils and Bacteriophages"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-8957-8029","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rafail","family":"Fokas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, Medical School, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-7470-8498","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nikolaos","family":"Giormezis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Medical School, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4411-3739","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Apostolos","family":"Vantarakis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, Medical School, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2025, January 20). 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