The application prospects of Nisin in convenience foods

Nisin has broad application prospects in convenience foods, which are specifically reflected in the following aspects:

Efficient Antibacterial Preservation

Nisin can inhibit most Gram-positive bacteria, such as Clostridium botulinum, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes, and also strongly inhibit the spores of Bacillus species. Convenience foods often face issues such as excessive total bacterial count and coliform bacteria; Nisin can effectively prevent the growth of these microorganisms, thereby extending the shelf life of convenience foods. For example, adding 0.2 g/kg of Nisin to convenience foods like leavened baked cakes, sweet bread, and pancakes exerts a strong inhibitory effect on heat-resistant Bacillus cereus (which causes product spoilage), significantly prolonging the shelf life of the products.

Improvement of Food Quality

Nisin is a natural biological preservative. After consumption, it is quickly hydrolyzed into amino acids under the action of the human body’s physiological pH and α-chymotrypsin. It does not alter the normal flora in the human intestinal tract, nor does it have adverse effects on the color, aroma, taste, texture, or other sensory properties of food. Using Nisin in convenience foods not only ensures food safety but also maintains the original quality of the food.

Reduction of Production Costs

In the production of some convenience foods, the use of Nisin can lower the sterilization temperature, shorten the sterilization time, reduce the loss of nutrients, improve food quality, and save energy. For instance, adding 0.05 g/kg to 0.2 g/kg of Nisin to some heat-treated and hermetically packaged convenience foods can reduce the intensity of thermal processing to a certain extent, thereby lowering production costs.

Alignment with Consumer Demand

As consumers pay increasing attention to food safety and health, natural and safe food additives are gaining more popularity. As a natural biological food preservative universally recognized as safe and harmless worldwide, Nisin meets consumers’ demand for healthy food and helps convenience food enterprises enhance the market competitiveness of their products.