The present teachings disclose a process for producing a safe and preserved food. The process includes: (i) introducing a non-live-bacteria preparation on or in a food to produce an activated food, and the non-live-bacteria preparation results from fermentation of fermented bacteria, but the non-live-bacteria preparation is substantially depleted of the fermented bacteria, and the fermented bacteria are bacteria that are living and (ii) incubating the activated food in presence of the non-live-bacteria preparation to kill and/or inhibit growth of pathogens and/or spoilage microorganisms on and/or in the activated food and thereby producing the safe and preserved food and wherein the fermented bacteria is anti-pathogen bacteria and/or anti-spoilage bacteria.
