Non-Conventional Methods of

Food Preservation
1. Food pres. by irradiation
2. Pulsed electric fields (PEFs)
3. High pressure processing (HPP)
4. Light and sound treatments
5. High magnetic fields
6. Biopreservatives—enzymes, antibiotics,
LAB
7. Miscellaneous—encapsulation, etc.

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 Non-conventional methods
1. Pulsed electric fields (PEFs)

 High pulses of electric energy (~30 kV/cm) applied

 1 V across a single cell is a huge voltage in
considering the diameter of cell
 Large cells (yeasts) are susceptible to PEFs than
small cells (micrococcus)
 Spores are the most resistant
 Useful for low pH pumpable foods
 Generally combined with other methods
 Mode of action is known to be electroporation

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 Mode of action

Microorganism H2O influx Efflux

Swelling Lysis

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 Non-conventional methods
2. High pressure processing (HPP)

 300—600 Mpa (3000—6000 atm) for 3-5 min.

 Deepest sea surface has 100 Mpa pressure
 Sensitivity: Vegetative cells >> spores
 Often combined with other hurdles
Nisin or lysozyme + HPP
Applications: low acid foods—jam, jelly, juices,
sauces, yogurt, etc.
Mode of action: enzyme inactivation/structural
impact
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 Non-conventional methods
3. Light and sound treatment

• UV light—200-290nm
• Ultrasonic— >18kHz

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 Non-conventional methods
4. High magnetic pulse

• It causes stress on microorganisms

• Starts repairing the stress
• Microorganisms kill due to homeostasis

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 Non-conventional methods
5. Bio-preservatives

Antimicrobial activity associated with

metabolites, enzymes and microorganisms is
referred to as biopreservatives
1. Antibiotics
2. Enzymes
3. LAB

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 Antibiotics
• They are secondary metabolites produced by
microorganisms that inhibit or kill other m.o.
including themselves
• Commonly used antibiotics in foods are:
Nisin— Streptococcus lactic
Natamysin (pimaricin)—Streptomycin natalensis

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• Produced by lactococcus lactis in milk or
dextrose
• Can not synthesized
• Used in cheese, meat and beverages
• Suppresses G+ve spoilage and pathogenic
bacteria, mainly LAB, streptococcus, bacilli,
clostridia and other anaerobic spore formers
• Ineffective against yeast and mold

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• It is a broad spectrum bacteriocin, inhibit
closely related bacteria
• Water soluble, effective at 1-25 ppm
• Used in isolation of G-ve bacteria, yeast and
mold
• It is destroyed by digestive enzymes
(decompose in intestine)
• It does not contribute off-odor and off-flavor

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 Application
• In cheese (2-8 ppm)
• Canned products—tomato products, soup,
vegetables products, mushrooms
• As sterilization auxiliary
• Scientific food committee (SFC) has set an ADI
of maximum 0.13 mg/kg

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 Natamycin (E235)

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• Naturally occurring antifungal agent
• Produced by soil bacterium, Streptomyces
natalensis
• Effective at Low level, <10 ppm
• Effective against yeasts and molds
• Used in cheese and sausage for surface
preservation, max. permissible limit is 2
mg /dm2; ADI<0.3 mg/kg

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• Used in meat (× US) dairy products (cheese, sour
cream, yogurt) and other products (packaged salad
mixes)
• Used as surface treatment
• A dose of 500 mg/kg/d over a period caused nausea,
vomiting and diarrhea
• Also used in medicine and cosmetics. Useful in
medicine to care skin

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 Enzymes

• Enzymes that inhibit or kill m.o. are:

– Egg—lysozyme, conalbumin, avidin
• Lysozyme is a potential enzyme for food preservation

• Also present in saliva, tear and in certain bacteria

• Stable in the pH 3-7 and temp. up to 50°C
• Isolated from egg white

• Cow’s milk—lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase

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• It is surface active agent; catalyzes the
hydrolysis of glycosidic linkages in
peptidoglycan, a structural polymer responsible
for the strength and rigidity of cell wall
• Weakening of the layer causes the cell to
rupture (lysis) under osmotic pressure
• More effective against G+ve bacteria than G-ve
ones, such as clostridia (C. botulinum);

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 LAB
• Fermented food products—sausages, cheese,
sauerkraut

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 Non-conventional methods
6. Miscellaneous

a. Surface treatment and edible coating

b. Encapsulation and controlled release of chemicals

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 The End

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