Natural antimicrobials as additives and ingredients for the preservation of foods and beverages - Natural Food Additives, Ingredients and Flavourings - page 125

6
Natural antimicrobials as additives and
ingredients for the preservation of foods
and beverages
J. Delves-Broughton, Danisco Food Protection, UK
Abstract: The increasing demands by consumers for foods and beverages prepared with
natural preservatives, rather than with chemicals, has led to increased research into
natural antimicrobials suitable for such use. A wide array of natural antimicrobials from
various sources such as microorganisms, animals and plants has been investigated as
potential preservatives. Some - such as nisin, natamycin, lysozyme and the
lactoperoxidase system - are now playing a role in food and beverage preservative
systems. Others are under evaluation. The use of single antimicrobials rarely provides an
adequate effect, so most potential will be in the use of combinations of antimicrobials.
Despite being natural, most natural additives and ingredients used as food preservatives
will still require safety evaluation and legislation.
Key words: food preservation, natural preservatives, bacteriocins, nisin, pediocin,
sakacin, protective cultures, fermentates, natamycin, reuterin, poly- L -lysine, protective
cultures, lactoperoxidase, lactoferrin, lysozyme, protamine, plant essential oils, enzymes.
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6.1 Introduction
The most signifi cant trends in food production and consumption in the last 30
years have been the growth of supermarkets stocked with a wide variety of foods
from all over the world, and the demand by consumers for foods that are both
nutritious and healthy but at the same time less heavily preserved (less salt, less
sugar, fat and chemical preservatives), less processed (less heating and freeze
damaged), possessing a long shelf life and yet still safe in terms of being free from
food poisoning organisms. Processed foods should ideally at the same time be
free from artifi cial or synthetically produced additives and contain only natural
additives and ingredients including those used as preservatives. There is therefore