Decoding and redesigning quorum sensing in food ecosystems: Implications for predictive microbiology, fermentation, and food safety

Microbial communication through quorum sensing (QS) is increasingly recognized as an important regulatory mechanism governing food safety, fermentation performance, and product shelf life. Traditionally associated with virulence and biofilm formation, QS is now understood to function as a system-level communication network that coordinates complex microbial interactions within food environments. This review examines the diverse QS strategies employed by foodborne pathogens, spoilage organisms, fermentative microbes, and commensal bacteria that transiently inhabit food matrices. We highlight how environmental conditions, spatial structure, and microbial consortia modulate QS activity, influencing both beneficial and undesirable outcomes in food systems. We further highlight recent advances in synthetic biology that offer opportunities to redesign QS pathways for engineering microbial communities with enhanced functionality, supporting controlled metabolite production, dynamic fermentation, and intelligent biopreservation. We also examine quorum quenching (QQ) as a promising strategy for mitigating microbial spoilage and contamination while discussing the opportunities and challenges associated with its practical application in food systems. By integrating current knowledge of QS with emerging developments in predictive microbiology and system-level microbial control, this review highlights the potential of microbial communication as a framework for improving food quality, safety, and sustainability.