Editorial: Bacterial persister cells in the food industry

In recent years, there has been a general increase in awareness regarding the prevalence of Bacterial persister cells in the food industry. These are defined as a subset of cells that, upon exposure to external stressors such as antimicrobials or radiation, enter a non- or slow-growing state. This enables them to withstand and survive harsh environmental conditions, posing a significant challenge to effective control measures. Given the potential risks to food safety associated with this phenotype, it is of the upmost importance to understand the key determinants and underlying molecular mechanisms triggering bacterial cells to enter the persister state, as well as their survival strategies. Hence, a global call for contributions was launched for a Research Topic entitled “Bacterial persister cells in the food industry” as guest editors, we hereby present a Research Topic of seven original research articles addressing different aspects of persisters. Research Topic presents, in fact, a comprehensive collection of research articles that highlight key findings on the stimuli, characteristics and molecular mechanisms driving food industry-associated bacteria to adopt the persister phenotype, the subsequent implications for antimicrobial resistance, and their interactions within mono- and multi-species communities. Collectively, the published manuscripts offer valuable insights for researchers in the field, supporting the development of innovative, ad hoc strategies to mitigate the risks and impacts associated with bacterial persister cells in food production environments.