Food Preservation

Food assurance is a foremost priority for prestige’s and consumers worldwide. The foods preservation is still a debated issue, not only for developing countries but also for the industrialized world, in spite of presence of advances in preservative technology. Refinement of economic losses due to food spoilage, lowering the food processing costs and avoiding transmission of microbial pathogens through the food chain while satisfying the growing consumers demands for foods that are ready to eat, fresh-tasting, nutrient and vitamin rich, and minimally-processed and preserved are major challenges for the current food industry (Galvez et al., 2007). The numerous changes in culinary habits in the last decades of the past century and current consumer

Different food preservation systems such as thermal processing, refrigeration and addition of antimicrobial compounds can be used to reduce the risk of food illnesses; however, these techniques frequently have been associated with adverse changes in organoleptic characteristics and loss of nutrients. Within the disposable arsenal of preservation techniques, the food industry investigates more and more the replacement of traditional food preservation techniques by new preservation techniques (Iraj, 2007). Recently, the food industry and food research have intensified on natural antimicrobial compounds owing to the consumers’ ban against chemical preservatives (Devlieghere et al., 2004). They also decrease the outbreak caused by foodborne illnesses (Ray, 2004). Thus, novel and complementary food preservation technologies that comply with these demands from “farm to table” are continuously seeked. So now a days, novel technologies such as ‘biopreservation’ have attracted great attention as natural means for controlling the shelf-life and safety of food

It is more effective against Gram-negative bacteria. Actually, this effect depends on pH and the bactericidal effect is more definite at low pH (below pH 4.5). In general, when the level of acetic acid is 0.2%, it shows bacteriostatic activity, however, bacteriocidal above 0.3%. It is used as an antimicrobial agent to salad dressings, mayonnaise, and carcass wash (Ray, 2004). Lactic acid is manufactured by some Lactobacillus spp. which is able to produce L-lactate (or DL-lactate).The antibacterial effect is pronounced when utilized at 1 to 2 % levels (≥ pH 5). At low pH 5, lactic acid can have a bactericidal activity particularly against Gram-negative bacteria (Ray, 2004). It is capable of inhibiting the growth of various food spoilage bacteria, such as Gram-negative species of the families Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae (Alakomi et al., 2000). However, it may not have an antimicrobial activity on fungi in the food environment (It is usually employed on carcasses) (Ray, 2004). Propionic acid by Propionibacterium spp. has fungistic effect in the food environment and also capable of inhibiting the growth of Gram-negative and Gram positive bacteria. At pH 5 or below, Gram-negative bacteria are more sensitive than Gram-positive ones as used 0.1 - 0.2 % levels. It is applied to control moulds in cheeses, butter, and bakery products and to hamper growth of bacteria and yeasts in syrup, applesauce, and some fresh