There is a rising consumer demand for natural food ingredients, especially in the preservation space, to inhibit spoilage and prolong shelf life. Lactic acid bacteria spoilage (e.g., Leuconostoc mesenteroides etc.) in cured bacon and ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products leads to ‘slime’ formation, souring etc. Similarly, in sauces, condiments, and dressings, lactic acid bacteria spoilage (e.g., Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus plantarum etc.) causes off-odor and off-taste.
Some common preservatives used in these products to mitigate bacterial spoilage are sodium benzoate (in sauces & dressings), salt, organic acids, and curing ingredients (in meat). While these preservatives are considered safe, some consumers prefer to avoid foods containing synthetic additives. Natural preservatives, such as buffered vinegar and cultured dextrose are already in use in the industry to mitigate bacterial spoilage, but they are not broadly effective for lactic acid bacteria spoilage.
We are looking for natural ingredients and process techniques that can replace artificial preservative ingredients in foods such as meat, sauces, condiments, and dressings. These solutions should inhibit spoilage lactic acid bacteria like L. mesenteroides (in cured bacon and RTE meat), L. buchneri, and L. plantarum (in sauces, condiments, and dressings).
- Plant-derived ingredients
- Organic acids
- Processing techniques
- Microbially-derived ingredients
- Effective against spoilage lactic acid bacteria (e.g. Leuconostoc spp., Lactobacillus spp. etc)
- Inhibits bacterial growth over shelf-life period (3+ months for meat; 6+ months for sauces, condiments, and dressings)
- Suitable for food application
- Clear pathway for regulatory approval in USA and Canada (or other countries with pathway to approval in USA and Canada)
- Ability to scale-up using commercially available processes for industrial application
- Minimal impact on organoleptic attributes of the food product
- Limited sodium contribution
- Achieve bacterial kill of at least 1-2 log-reduction over shelf life
- Ingredient stability for a wide range of pH and temperature (heat stability)
- Plan to commercially scale ingredient or process, with scalability in approximately 1 year timeline
- Low-capital solution for processing technologies, preferably continuous processes
- Clean/simple labeling options
- Artificial ingredients
- Solutions for which continuity of supply is difficult to maintain
- Solutions below TRL 5 (i.e., discovery research programs)
We are driving transformation at The Kraft Heinz Company, inspired by our Purpose, Let's Make Life Delicious. Consumers are at the center of everything we do. With 2021 net sales of approximately $26 billion, we are committed to growing our iconic and emerging food and beverage brands on a global scale. We leverage our scale and agility to unleash the full power of Kraft Heinz across a portfolio of six consumer-driven product platforms. As global citizens, we're dedicated to making a sustainable, ethical impact while helping feed the world in healthy, responsible ways. Learn more about our journey by visiting www.kraftheinzcompany.com or following us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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