Scientists have discovered a natural preservative substance that keeps food fresh for years by destroying different food rotting bacteria.
The agent called bisin is produced by harmless bacteria and has the capability of destroying a whole class of food decomposing germs including E-coli, salmonella and listeria.
A team of researchers led by Dr. Dan O'Sullivan, an Irish microbiologist working with the University of Minnesota, isolated the substance from a culture of Bifodobacterium longum, a harmless bacterium commonly found in the human gut.
The researchers claim that bisin can extend the life of many daily foods which have strict use-by dates including seafood, meat, eggs, dairy products and canned goods.
By using the new preservative many foods remain intact and usable for several years and in some cases there would be no need for refrigeration, the scientists added.
However, the natural substance cannot preserve agricultural products such as fruit and vegetables because they are decomposed by molds and different bacteria.
Because bisin is chemically related to nisin, which is used to keep processed cheese sterile and edible for decades, it does not need to be pharmaceutically tested and could be on the market within a year.
"It [bisin] seems to be much better than anything which has gone before," Sullivan said. "It doesn't compromise nutrient quality. We are not adding a chemical -- we are adding a natural ingredient."
“It's aimed at protecting foods from a broad range of bugs that cause disease,” he added about the natural product that may ward off the use of many chemical preservative with potential health hazards.
Sullivan and colleagues are conducting more researches to more details about bisin's effectiveness in preventing bacteria from growing.
They are negotiating with food manufacturers and hope that first products containing bisin would be on the market within three years.
SJM/MGH