Natural preservatives are highly safe and may become mainstream in the market in the future

Natural preservatives, also known as natural organic preservatives, are substances with antibacterial effects secreted by organisms or present in the body. They are artificially extracted or processed to become food preservatives. Compared with synthetic preservatives, natural preservatives have the advantages of high safety, strong antibacterial properties, and do not affect the flavor of food.

According to the “China Natural Preservatives Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report 2023-2028” released by the Industrial Research Center, Natural preservatives can be divided into natural preservatives of animal origin, natural preservatives of plant origin and natural preservatives of microbial origin. Among them, animal-derived natural preservatives include protamine, propolis, chitosan, etc., plant-derived natural preservatives mainly include tea polyphenols, essential oils, allicin, etc., and microbial natural preservatives mainly include bacterial natural preservatives and actinomycetes. Natural preservatives and molds produced.

Specifically, since natural preservatives are completely taken from animals and plants in nature, they have certain limitations in terms of general applicability. For example, protamine has strong antibacterial ability in media other than acidic and is not effective against Bacillus subtilis and lichen. Bacillus spp., Lactobacillus plantarum, etc. all have strong inhibitory effects, but the inhibitory effect on Gram-negative bacteria is not obvious, so they are mostly used for the preservative of aquatic products, bread, seasonings and other products; allicin is adaptable in acidic environments Good, the antibacterial ability will decrease at high temperatures, so the antiseptic and preservation effect is better when used in acidic foods; nisin (i.e., nisin) has a strong inhibitory effect on a variety of Gram-positive bacteria, but in inhibiting The mold aspect doesn’t work.

Some natural preservatives not only have antiseptic effects but also have certain medical and health care value. For example, propolis can not only improve the taste of food and enhance the color of food, but its active ingredients can gradually eliminate tartar and have the effect of cleaning and protecting teeth; tea polyphenols not only It has an inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus, Penicillium, and Escherichia coli. After entering the human body, it can reduce blood pressure, resist radiation, and remove excess free radicals from the human body; allicin in garlic can not only inhibit the growth of various molds , it also has strong inhibitory and killing effects on many viruses and some pathogenic intestinal bacteria.

Generally speaking, although natural preservatives have certain limitations, their flaws do not hide their advantages. As the national economy improves, living standards improve, safety and health awareness continues to increase, food safety issues are increasingly valued, and the country’s management of food additives is increasingly improved, natural preservatives may become the mainstream of the market in the future.

Industry analysts said that the research and application of natural preservatives have become increasingly widespread abroad, while domestic natural preservatives are still in the process of development and exploration. At this stage, the relevant industrial chain is not yet complete. Driven by market demand and as domestic research on natural preservatives continues to deepen, the industry will continue to develop and improve.