Microbial food spoilage is a major contributor to food waste and, hence, to the negative environmental sustainability impacts of food production and processing. Globally, it is estimated that 15–20% of food is wasted, with waste, by definition, occurring after primary production and harvesting (for example, in households and food service establishments). Although the causative agents of food spoilage are diverse, many microorganisms are major contributors across different types of foods. For example, the genus Pseudomonas causes spoilage in various raw and ready-to-eat foods. Aerobic sporeformers (for example, members of the genera Bacillus, Paenibacillus and Alicyclobacillus) cause spoilage across various foods and beverages, whereas anaerobic sporeformers (for example, Clostridiales) cause spoilage in a range of products that present low-oxygen environments. Fungi are also important spoilage microorganisms, including in products that are not susceptible to bacterial spoilage due to their low water activity or low pH. Strategies that can reduce spoilage include improved control of spoilage microorganisms in raw material and environmental sources as well as application of microbicidal or microbiostatic strategies (for example, to products and packaging). Emerging tools (for example, systems models and improved genomic tools) represent an opportunity for rational design of systems, processes and products that minimize microbial food spoilage.

微生物食品腐败是造成食品浪费的主要原因，因此也是食品生产和加工对环境可持续性产生负面影响的主要原因。据估计，全球有 15-20% 的食物被浪费，根据定义，浪费发生在初级生产和收获之后（例如，在家庭和食品服务机构中）。尽管食品腐败的致病因素多种多样，但许多微生物是不同类型食品的主要促成因素。例如，假单胞菌属会导致各种生食和即食食品腐败。需氧孢子形成菌（例如芽孢杆菌属、类芽孢杆菌属和脂环酸芽孢杆菌属）会导致各种食品和饮料腐败，而厌氧孢子形成菌（例如梭菌目）会导致一系列低氧环境的产品腐败。真菌也是重要的腐败微生物，包括由于其低水分活度或低 pH 值而不易受到细菌腐败影响的产品。减少腐败的策略包括加强对原材料和环境来源中腐败微生物的控制，以及应用杀菌或抑菌策略（例如，在产品和包装上）。新兴工具（例如系统模型和改进的基因组工具）代表了合理设计系统、流程和产品的机会，以最大限度地减少微生物食品腐败。