Scientists discover natural preservative
Scientists have discovered a natural preservative that they say is capable of destroying bacteria, including E.coli and listeria, and could spell the end for rotting food.
There would also be no need to refrigerate produce treated with the preservative, called bisin.
Ready meals, opened wine and fresh salad dressing could also be safely consumed long after they were bought, say scientists, and it’s predicted that foods like milk, sausages and sandwiches containing the agent could be on the shelves within three years.
Researchers at Minnesota University in the US discovered the substance from a culture of a harmless bacteria, Bifodobacterium longum, commonly found in the human gut.
“It seems to be much better than anything which has gone before,” says microbiologist Dan O’Sullivan, who works at the university. “It doesn’t compromise nutrient quality – we are not adding a chemical, we are adding a natural ingredient.”
