Antimicrobial Food Composition Using Potassium Salts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for preserving food and drink products, particularly meat, are inadequate in preventing the growth of microorganisms like Listeria Monocytogenes, which can survive adverse conditions and cause food spoilage and poisoning, while also affecting the sensory properties of the products.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising potassium propionate and potassium acetate or their mixture, in specific ratios, is used to enhance the resistance of food products to microorganisms without detrimental effects on taste, texture, or color, including the addition of sodium for fine-tuning the taste profile while maintaining a potassium-to-sodium ratio below 1 to prevent precipitation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If antibacterial compounds are added to food products to control micro-organisms, then resistance to food spoilage and food poisoning bacteria is improved, but taste and other sensory properties are detrimentally affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining multiple antibacterial compounds (potassium propionate, potassium acetate, and/or potassium lactate) in specific ratios to create a composition that provides both antibacterial activity and acceptable sensory properties. This composite approach allows the synergistic or additive effects of different compounds to achieve reliable microorganism control while the specific formulation maintains taste and texture qualities.
2Reliability
If propionate and potassium are added to food products for antibacterial effect, then resistance to micro-organisms is improved, but taste is detrimentally affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the concentration ratios of different compounds in the composition. Specifically, it maintains potassium propionate at 1-50% (w/w), potassium acetate at 10-90% (w/w), and potassium lactate at 10-90% (w/w) within the total composition. By adjusting these parametric ratios, the patent achieves effective antibacterial activity while optimizing taste properties, as different compounds contribute differently to both antibacterial effect and sensory characteristics.
3Reliability
If higher concentrations of antibacterial composition are used to improve resistance to micro-organisms, then effectiveness against pathogens is improved, but viscosity issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the concentration parameters of the composition to achieve effective pathogen resistance without excessive viscosity. The specified ranges (potassium propionate 1-50%, potassium acetate 10-90%, potassium lactate 10-90%) are formulated to maintain appropriate flow properties even at higher concentrations, ensuring both effectiveness and ease of application.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composition effectively inhibits the growth of food spoilage bacteria and pathogens like Listeria Monocytogenes, improves the sensory properties of meat products, including taste, juiciness, and red color stability, and allows for higher concentration use without viscosity issues, reducing transportation costs.
Implementation Method 1
Mixtures of organic acids and/or salts hereof such as lactic acid, acetic, citric, propionic, benzoic, sorbic, ascorbic acid and others are known to be used as antibacterial agents in controlling the activity of micro-organisms such as food spoilage bacteria and food pathogens
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention pertains to composition suitable for improving the sensory properties and resistance of food and drink products, especially uncured meat products, to various kinds of micro-organisms and in particular food spoilage and food poisoning bacteria. The composition comprises alkali metal salts having as anions propionate comprising as anions propionate and a co-anion selected from acetate, and combinations of lactate and acetate, and as cations potassium and hydrogen, wherein the weight-based ratio of lactate/propionate is in the range of 0 to 20 and the weight-based ratio of acetate/propionate is in the range of 0.05 to 3.5.