Upsetting the balance of an antimicrobial system is easier than many of us realize. Especially where cooked and fresh meat formulations are concerned, even changing some of the “little things” such as a flavor profile can compromise a tried-and-true solution in ways we might not expect.  

In truth it doesn’t take much to overwhelm a traditional antimicrobial system. A small process change can shift a product’s pH. A different spice inclusion can introduce new contaminants. Added sugars can alter the environment and provide bacteria with extra food to grow.

And then there are conditions at the retail level. We all know that product loss is revenue loss. According to ReFED, waste at the retail level for fresh meat and seafood was estimated at $6.31B for 2022. Among the causes: date label concerns, handling errors, spoilage and food safety recalls.

Most of these factors are out of the manufacturer’s hands. While we’d like to control what happens at the grocery store level to optimize shelf life and safety, it just isn’t possible. Therefore, we need to put extra focus on the factors we can control, such as addressing formulation issues that can lead to spoilage.

There is no doubt that the number of outside factors that are putting pressure on shelf life and food safety systems is increasing. Some of the most important include:

Processing factors. Among the best-known of these is the increasing pH of fresh pork and poultry. Possible explanations include changes grow-out and slaughter practices which may be causing muscle tissues — and by extension cooked meats — to exhibit pH points above historical norms. Increases in water retention are also creating more favorable environments for spoilage bacteria.

Storage conditions.  Online ordering and its rise in popularity intuitively presents a shelf-life and food safety risk give that pickers, like shoppers, habitually walk the store with refrigerated foods in their ambient temperature carts. A proprietary Corbion survey of grocery store order-pickers found that most pickers gather deli meats and processed meat items at the beginning of the order fulfillment process. As a result, some 60% of orders took longer than 30 minutes to fulfill (1). Additionally, almost half of all online orders were staged for customer pick-up for longer than 60 minutes at unknown storage temperatures (1). 

Formulation changes. Riskier formulations are part of the mix and there’s evidence that sweeter flavor profiles that include ingredients like honey and maple sugar are gaining popularity against their conventional alternatives. The drive toward culinary premiumization presents non-irradiated spices that can bring along more spoilage organisms. Data collected by the American Spice Trade Association shows aerobic plate count measures as high as Log 7 CFU/g. (2)

Source: American Spice Trade Association  

The Promise of Ferments

What can be done about these latest threats to shelf life and safety? Antimicrobial ingredients are one possible course of action. Lactate/Diacetate are the proven workhorses in this arena, though they can be challenging to use in some formulations due to regulatory requirements and consumer taste limits.

Buffered vinegars are other go-to formulating tools, particularly for Listeria control since they can be added at higher levels without introducing objectionable astringency. However, meat products with higher pH pose a greater challenge when realizing the same shelf life.

Among the newer and more exciting antimicrobial developments are fermented solutions such as cultured sugar and cultured dextrose which can be partnered with buffered vinegar or conventional antimicrobials to overcome flavor challenges that occur at higher dosage levels. Some of the results observed to date have been outstanding.

In this example of a honey-flavored marinated pork item, a cultured dextrose and vinegar solution (vinegar plus) extended shelf life well beyond the vinegar control.

Source: Corbion

It seems clear that ferments in various forms are capable of high-performance levels, either by themselves or when used in combination with other more traditional antimicrobials. One of the keys to achieving these kinds of successes is recognizing the conditions that can accelerate microbial growth, and selecting the appropriate inhibitors to combat them. Suppliers can play an invaluable role here.

Additionally, tools like the Corbion Listeria Control Model, for example, can help manufacturers test supply chain and distribution scenarios, visualize how different conditions can cause ingredients to change over time, create more effective antimicrobial interventions for their formulations, and fight the evolving war against foodborne pathogens more effectively.

1. Corbion proprietary survey, 2022
2. (2) American Spice Trade Association.  Microbiology of Spices.  Revised Sept 2, 2021.  Accessed online: Microbiology-of-Spices_Draft_Flattened_09022021.pdf