Syeda Roufun Nesa, Md. Furkanur Rahaman Mizan, Nigar Sultana Meghla, Iksoon Kang, Sang‐Do Ha
The rapid growth of the global chicken industry has raised concerns about food safety, particularly Salmonella, a significant zoonotic infection associated with poultry products. Salmonella's capacity to form biofilms in farm and processing environments (slaughter, chilling, cutting, and packaging areas) makes it more resistant to disinfectants, antibiotics, and environmental stresses, complicating control attempts. Natural antibacterial agents are attracting renewed interest due to the drawbacks of traditional control strategies, such as the potential for antibiotic resistance development and harmful residuals. Plant-based phenolic compounds and essential oils (EOs) have emerged as safe, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly alternatives for inhibiting Salmonella biofilm formation during the various stages of infection and contamination in poultry, such as biofilm maturation, gut colonization, and eggshell adhesion, while preserving beneficial microbiota. These compounds also promote poultry health, performance, and gut immunity. This review examines the prevalence and causes of Salmonella biofilm development in chicken, assesses the antibiofilm and antibacterial characteristics of phenolics and EOs, and highlights their potential stage-specific applications along the poultry production chain. Furthermore, it addresses current obstacles, such as stability and delivery issues, and it also outlines future research priorities, with a focus on enhanced delivery methods, in vivo validation, and integrative approaches to sustainable biofilm control. Moreover, by focusing on stage-specific applications and resolving practical problems, this review connects laboratory discoveries to real-world chicken production, highlighting phenolic compounds and EOs as unique, residue-free Salmonella biofilm management agents with possible advantages but also potential human health safety concerns.