Organic acids and particularly acetic acid/acetates are well known for their inhibitive effect on spoilage flora and pathogens in food. Modern consumers have a negative perception of chemically-derived additives (e-numbers) and increasingly prefer natural alternatives. In response to these changing consumer demands, Niacet’s portfolio of naturally derived antimicrobials and flavors have been expanded recently with effective powdered ingredients based on natural vinegar.

Next to the clean label trend, there is a clear trend for sodium reduction in food products. Following a publication by WHO¹ on sodium usage and intake, several countries have introduced legislation to reduce  sodium intake in the past few years. In addition to this trend, there is a growing demand for shelf life extension and increased safety in a variety of food types.  This document reviews Provian®NDV, a natural preservative, and Progusta NDV, a natural flavor, both based on naturally fermented vinegar. These products make it possible to simultaneously address both afore mentioned trends in their own and unique way.

Basic conditions to keep processed food products fresh are refrigerated storage and packaging under modified atmosphere (MAP). Despite creating a suboptimal environment for microbial growth, Listeria monocytogenes is still able to grow and to create danger for human health. In addition to this food safety issue, slime formation and acidic smell and taste, caused by LAB is another factor that makes food inedible.

Acetates and di-acetates are well known for their inhibitive action on the growth of microorganisms. The natural equivalent for acetates and diacetates is vinegar, the basis for our clean label products. As such it is no surprise that Provian NDV shows outstanding results for Listeria inhibition in processed meat. Suppressing LAB in order to extend the shelf life is more challenging, because of their tolerance to many antimicrobials. Nevertheless, they show sensitivity to acetic acid and propionic acid. The explanation for this is the high pK value of these acids in combination with optimal solubility in the microbial cellmembrane compared to other organic acids.

Neutralized vinegar is a clean label alternative for acetates. Vinegar based products are developed in order to serve the modern consumer with a natural powerful ingredient to increase the safety and shelf life of refrigerated processed meat, poultry, fish and ready to eat foods. Provian NDV does not contain any sodium and helps to keep sodium levels low while increasing the shelf life and safety. Provian NDV is a very soluble agglomerate and is dust-free. No anti caking agents are used as processing aids. The figure below shows the efficacy of low levels of Provian NDV on the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in a deli style cooked ham, stored at 7°C.

The ultimate goal for meat processors who are considering salt reduction is to produce great-tasting reduced-sodium food products that consumers can enjoy as a part of an ongoing healthier diet and lifestyle.

It’s obvious that salt (NaCl) reduction compromises taste, affects shelf life and easily leads to safety issues of meat and other food products, Progusta NDV is developed to compensate for these issues by giving a taste enhancing effect.  Progusta NDV is based on natural fermented vinegar and has a positively assessed taste profile in meat based on spice, sweet and salty tones.  The figures below (figures 3 and 4) show the impact of Progusta NDV on the taste of a cooked minced beef (meatball) application. A dosage of 0.5% (w/w) Progusta NDV shows already a significant taste enhancing effect.

References:

1. www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs393/en
2. Eklund T.The antimicrobial effect of dissociated and undissociated sorbic acid at different pH levels. J Appl Bacteriol. 1983 Jun;54(3):383-9.
3. Sikkema,J.; J.A.M.de Bont; B.Poolman (1994) Interactions of cyclic hydrocarbons with biological membranes. J.Biol.Chem. 269: 8022 8028