## 1 Introduction  
According to the definition, \"tailor-made foods\" are foods that are produced for a special target group of consumers. These foods have different functional characteristics, that are given both by the raw materials that are used for food production and by the production methods [1; 2]. To obtain this type of food, four main stages are followed; the identification of the chemical, physical, biological, nutritional, and other characteristics of the main ingredients [3] is the first one. Another important stage in the production of this food type is the application of so-called minimal-processing technologies to ensure their quality. This means applying minimal steps to preserve the product in order for the product to retain more of its functional properties [4; 5; 6; 7]. One of these methods is the so-called hurdle technologies--the combination of separate types of hurdles to prevent microbial spoilage via the application of physical and biological factors [5]. The first step towards combining two types of biological hurdles, those of microbiological origin and biomolecules (EOs) with an emphasis on the chemical composition and biological value of the EOs, has been studied in the present manuscript. Essential oils (EOs) are aromatic liquids derived from various plant materials, such as leaves, flowers, roots, and fruits. They serve as alternatives to commonly applied antibiotics and are used as food biopreservatives [8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14]. These oils are typically obtained via water distillation [15; 16; 17] and contain a complex mixture of volatile secondary metabolites with small molecular mass, which contribute to their distinct and specific aroma [18; 19]. Humans have employed these plant compounds for thousands of years, not only as ingredients in perfumes or food additives but also as alternative medicines due to their biological properties, including antimicrobial and antioxidant activities [15; 16; 17; 20; 21]. These properties are closely related to their components, which mostly include terpene derivatives and oxygen-containing compounds [1; 18; 11; 16; 17]. Each component of an EO offers specific benefits to the body, with monoterpenoids exhibiting analgesic, insecticidal, diuretic, antiviral, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and other actions [22; 23; 24]. EO composition is influenced by the plant variety and the pedoclimatic conditions in which it is grown [22]. Due to their antimicrobial properties, EOs are being used as alternatives to antibiotics and in combination with them to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria. They exhibit a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, affecting various microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, yeasts, and fungi [25]. The increase in antibiotic resistance among microorganisms poses a significant threat to human health, partly due to the widespread and often improper use of antimicrobial chemicals and the excessive use of chemical preservatives in food, leading to undesirable consequences such as dysbiosis and anaphylaxis shock [25]. Consequently, the search for new antimicrobial agents without adverse effects on the body has led to the application of EOs from plants with antimicrobial activity in recent years. Notable examples include lavelander, peppermint, raspberry, ylang-ylang, and others [26; 27] and their potential application in food biopreservation strategies. The inclusion of EOs in the composition of foods ensures the microbial safety of the resulting product but very high EO concentrations are actually detrimental to the product's sensory qualities. Thus, biopreservation strategies with the inclusion of EOs actually address the balance between food safety and preservation and improvement of the food sensorial characteristics. It has been established that EOs can be included in food formulations at concentrations up to 1% without negatively affecting the organoleptic characteristics of the resulting product [28]. _Lavandula_ (common name lavelander) is a genus of plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family.