New Natural Antimicrobial System for Preserving Liquid Food

Technology Overview

Researchers at the Universitat Politècnica de València have developed a new system for preserving liquid food such as wine, water and milk.

Molecules of natural origin anchored at cellulose and silicon particles produce as a result an antimicrobial system, which has the function of preserving without breaking the bond, so they are not absorbed in the intestine nor do they release undesired aroma or smell.

The researchers have used a natural antimicrobial systems active compounds of vegetable essential oils such as cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, carvacrol, thymol and menthol, and organic acids such as ferulic acid or gallic acid. With regard to the substrates, they have used silicon and cellulose oxide in micro-crystalline form, in micro and nano sizes and in cellulose filters.

Antimicrobial systems currently used by the food industry for preserving food are usually synthetic systems; the few systems of natural origin used are limited due to their smell and flavor incompatibility.

Benefits

• It uses less quantity of additive.
• It replaces synthetic products with natural products.
• It diminishes the possible adverse effects because it cannot be absorbed.
• It disguises non-desired sensory properties of some natural antimicrobial agents.
• It makes it possible to add volatile antimicrobial agents that aren’t lost during the process.
• It does not depend on products or infrastructures for its implementation.
• It does not require a big investment for it be implemented.

Applications

• The wine industry, where this system is capable of avoiding the use of sulphite for preserving wine, which has significant allergenic limitations.
• The dairy industry, since heat treatments for milk could be eliminated and use this new antimicrobial system for preserving it.
• Even in the beverage industry (water or juice), where the new system could be used to treat against microorganisms.

Opportunity

The inventors are searching for companies interested in establishing agreements to patent the license, its use, manufacture or commercialization.