Figure 1

Potential benefits of bacteriocins and bacteriocin-producing bacteria in poultry and swine production. Bacteriocins, either purified or semi-purified, may be directly added to animal feed as anti-infective additives to protect animals. Alternatively, the bacteriocin-producing bacteria may be used as probiotics and inoculated into animals to allow colonization and protection against bacterial pathogens. Both procedures may reduce the amounts of animal pathogens as well as foodborne pathogens. As a consequence, this may decrease the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, the economic losses and the negative impacts on human health.