Improve Shelf Life and Safety with DuraShield™ Natural Food Protection Blends Crafted by Kalsec®

As leading innovators in the field of food protection, Kalsec scientists have earned a reputation for being at the forefront of finding novel ways to use antioxidants to help food look better and last longer. Now, they’ve added food safety into the mix by incorporating antimicrobials.

DuraShield blends combine the power of natural antioxidants—such as rosemary and acerola extracts—with natural cultured dextrose and/or buffered vinegar to provide food manufacturers a 2-in-1 blend in which the individual components are actually more effective than on their own.

 “A combination of our rosemary, cultured dextrose and buffered vinegar [DuraShield NPV] can be very effective in inhibiting the growth of spoilage microorganisms in meat matrices thanks to the synergy when these three ingredients are combined,” said Andrew Lee, Food Protection Research and Development Manager at Kalsec. “We also created blends that provide protection against both color change and microbial spoilage by combining acerola with other building blocks.”

With cleaner labels still in demand, these all-new solutions are a natural way to keep food safer and last longer. Plus, with Kalsec’s understanding of organoleptic properties,  DuraShield products have minimal impact on taste and aroma.

DuraShield blends also deliver peace of mind. They have been scientifically proven to limit the growth of both gram positive and gram negative bacteria, yeast, molds and common pathogens, such as Listeria, E. coli​ and Salmonella​, in everything from meats and poultry to baked goods to soups, sauces and dressings.

One study tested the effectiveness of DuraShield in fresh ground turkey under vacuum packaging during refrigerated storage. Over the course of 17 days, various DuraShield blends delayed microbial spoilage. The combination of rosemary, cultured dextrose and buffered vinegar (DuraShield NPV) was the most effective. Starting at a total plate count of 3 log CFU/g, the control turkey quickly showed a total plate count of nearly 7 log CFU/g, while the turkey treated with DuraShield stayed steady for ten full days.

Another study evaluated the sensorial and functional efficacy of DuraShield in inhibiting the growth of Listeria monocytogenes​ in chicken salad during refrigerated storage. DuraShield blends were added to chicken salad made with chicken breast, celery, mayonnaise, salt and black pepper followed by the inoculation of a Listeria monocytogenes​ cocktail treated at 4 log CFU/g. After 35 days of storage at 4 °C, DuraShield NPV was proven to be the most effective blend, keeping the log cfu/g under four.

DuraShield has also been proven effective against lactic acid bacteria spoilage in hummus, outperforming sodium benzoate, a common synthetic antimicrobial, at later stages of storage. In this study, two different DuraShield blends were added to hummus followed by the inoculation of a lactic acid bacteria cocktail. The hummus was then stored at four degrees Celsius for 56 days and analyzed by plating on De Man, Rogosa and Sarpe (MRS) agar. As the samples reached 56 days in storage, DuraShield NPV held the hummus at a log cfu/g between 1 and 3 while the control sample reached a 7 log cfu/g.

Beyond its own testing, Kalsec partners with food manufacturers to conduct application testing in its Biosafety Level-1 and Biosafety Level-2 labs, which are equipped to conduct shelf-life studies and microbial identification on both spoilage microorganisms and pathogens. Kalsec also offers analytical testing, sensory testing and both traditional microbial culture and advanced molecular biology tools to test effectiveness.

 “When searching for a solution to prevent microbial spoilage, it is important to understand the microbiological hurdle, food composition and, more importantly, the microorganisms that are dominating the food,” said Lee. “In our labs, scientists can help identify problematic microorganisms and find the best solution based on controlled studies.”