Food safety and quality depend on many specific factors, including favorable or harmful microbial properties. The concept of food safety changed in recent years from hazard-based to risk-based approach and preventive interventions are needed from preharvest level to food processing. Use of microbes in primary production may be beneficial for health and productivity of food-producing animals, as well as quality and safety of animal products intended for human consumption. Antimicrobial capacities of selected microbes should be employed in developing of new food preservation methods and food spoilage prevention. Many foodborne treats to human health could also occur during food processing and storage, and many competitive microbes can be used to prevent or reduce the risk.

Hence, the power of microbes as a tool of upgrading food safety and quality may be used through the whole agrofood chain. In this special issue we invite authors to submit research articles focused on improving food safety and quality by microbe-based strategies, “from field to fork.” Review articles are especially welcome, dealing with recent developments in biotechnological and health aspects of food-related microbes.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Reduction of foodborne hazards by preharvest interventions
• Improvement of food quality by microbe-based feed modifications
• Prevention of food spoilage and extending shelf-life by microbial interactions
• Probiotics in feed and food
• Autochthonous versus commercial starter cultures
• Reduction of foodborne public-health hazards (i.e., pathogens, spoilers, biogenic amine producers, mycotoxins producers, and carriers of antimicrobial resistance) by applying competitive microbes in food