Naturex introduces natural, taste-free antimicrobial ingredients for meat

2 Jun 2017

Naturex has developed two natural and taste-free antimicrobial ingredients for the prevention of spoilage in meat products. Cleanatis M1 and Cleanatis M2 are synergistic blends of plant extracts designed to prevent the growth of Listeria and Salmonella.

Naturex has developed two natural and taste-free antimicrobial ingredients for the prevention of spoilage in meat products.

Antimicrobials are agents that kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast and moulds in food matrices. Their use is essential in the modern food supply chain, and particularly in the meat industry, to ensure products stay fresh and safe to eat on their journey from the factory to the consumer’s plate.

Processed meat products have an influential role in the worldwide preservatives market, Naturex claims. Commonly used antimicrobials in the meat industry include sodium lactate, sodium acetate and nitrites. However, many consumers view these with suspicion and are increasingly seeking out healthier products with labels that are cleaner, clearer and easier to understand.

Cleanatis, Naturex’s new antimicrobial range, is said to provide the perfect solution to balancing the need for effective prevention of microbial food spoilage, answering consumer expectations for clean label and naturalness. Cleanatis M1 and Cleanatis M2 are synergistic blends of plant extracts designed to prevent the growth of Listeria and Salmonella, respectively, in the meat matrix.

Both are claimed to offer a viable clean label alternative to artificial preservatives, which are increasingly unpopular among shoppers, as well as to existing natural antimicrobial solutions, such as essential oils, which are often difficult to use because they impair product taste.

In tests, independent experts measured the performance of Cleanatis against that of standard antimicrobials in fresh ground meat. Cleanatis M1 inhibited growth of Listeria more effectively than classic antimicrobials (sodium lactate and sodium acetate). Cleanatis M2 was more effective than sodium lactate for controlling the growth of Salmonella. Furthermore, Cleanatis M1 and M2 protected colour and taste and had no detrimental impact on the food matrix.

“Many consumers are no longer willing to accept products that contain ingredients that sound like they are from a chemistry set,” said Catherine Bayard, Category Manager for Food Preservation at Naturex. “Increasingly, this trend is taking hold in the meat industry, which has previously presented a huge challenge. For safety reasons, antimicrobials are a necessity, but the natural alternatives available until now have been inadequate. Cleanatis M1 and M2 completely change all that. They offer meat producers a genuinely effective natural solution to help prevent product spoilage, but without the drawbacks of existing natural antimicrobials, which often have a major impact on the organoleptic properties of the end-product.”