Unlocking essential oils’ potential as sustainable food additives: current state and future perspectives for industrial applications

Essential oils (EOs) comprise a relevant bioactive fraction from diverse plant sources and vegetable tissues. Their beneficial properties have been mainly related to the presence of bioactive molecules such as monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, among others, with beneficial properties against critical issues in the food industry that could promote sustainable production beyond organoleptic boosters. This review collects up-to-date information concerning EOs and their bioactive applications in the food field. In addition, a bibliometric analysis was applied to scientific and intellectual property databases to elucidate the current technological trends for EOs in the food sector. Thus, the current information on the evaluation of EOs in food systems has demonstrated that their application guarantees safe and high-quality foods, as they have the potential to partially replace some of the conventional synthetic antioxidants and antimicrobial agents according to sustainable trends.