| Natural Food Preservatives |
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| Written by Rick Cavanaugh | |
| Thursday, 09 August 2007 | |
Raisins and Prunes as Natural PreservativesCertain natual ingredients have mold inhibition properties. Raisins and prunes contain natural tartaric acid and propionic acid which is a natural preservative. Roughly 2% raisin paste or juice based on flour is needed to acheive mold inhibition. Vinegar as Natural PreservativeVinegar is one of the most commonly used natural preservatives. Vinegar contains acetic acid which is another natural mold inhibitor. Roughly 1% vinegar is needed for natural mold inhibition Natural Fermented PreservativesNatural preservatives are available that are fermentation by products. Most of these are natural fermentation products made from cultured whey, wheat or spelt. Parve versions are also available from fermented corn syrup solids, wheat and spelt. Most of these fermentation products contain a natural (by-product of fermentation) propionic acid compound. NatamycinNatamycin or pimaricin is a naturally occuring preservative that is produced by the bacteria Streptomyces natalensis. Natamycin is a polyene macrolide antibiotic produced by submerged aerobic fermentation. It is effective molds and yeasts. It has no effect against bacterias. Natamycin is very effective against the molds Aspergillus. Natamycin is used in the food industry in inhibit mold growth on cheeses, dried meats, english muffins, sausages and other foods. It can be applied as a spray or as a powder. Natamycin is not very water soluble so it is usually present in the form of crystals. The effective pH range of natamycin is very wide and does not rely on low pH levels for its fuction. Natamycin is most stable at neutral pH. Natamycin is also used as drug. Its use in food is questionable as resistant strains produce from over use in food can make its drug use less effective. It is commonly used in Veterinary medicines to treat mycotic infections such as ring worm in horses and cattle. Natamycins use in human medications is limited to treatment of corneal fungal infections and the prevention of these infections in contact lens users.
Nisin E234Nisin is another interesting yet rarely used natural preservative. Nisin is a polycyclic peptide with 34 amino acids. It is produced by a natural fermentation using bacterium Lactococcus lactis. It is obtained from natural substrates and is not chemically synthesized. It is commonly fermented from milk products. It is usually sold in a diluted form containing milk. Most commerical Nisin products contain 2.5% Nisin Nisin is a good natural preservative as Nisin is nontoxic, it is natural, it is heat stable, it is destroyed by digestive enzymes and it has no off flavors or odors.
It is effective against gram positive bacteria, yeasts and molds. It is very effective against spore forming bacteria. It is not effective against mold. It is very stable and its solubility increases in an acid environment. It is used at very low levels. Actual Nisin usage levels are .25 to 40 ppm SubtilinThis is another fermentation produced preservative that is produced by a strain of Bicillus Subtillis grown on a medium of asparagine. It reduces the thermal resistance of bacterial spores. It is effective against gram positive bacteria. It is not permitted in the EU and many other countries. Little work has been done with this since the 1950's
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 05 October 2007 ) |
