Natural antimicrobial wins annual Innovation Award

A natural product that has very good antimicrobial properties on fresh product, including fruit, vegetables and seafood, has won the annual AIFST Food industry Innovation Award.

The Australian Institute of food Science and Technology Inc (AIFST) presents the award each year to a product or process that has had commercial success over the last five years.

This year’s product is Herbal Active and has significant potential to reduce food waste whilst also prevent food poisoning.

The powder, when made up as a solution according to the instructions, has the potential to reduce microbial load by up to seven log (or seven times the power of 10, or 10 000 000 times).

The shelf life of dipped foods is from two to ten times longer. This has the potential to significantly reduce food waste

The Australian producer, Vic Cherikoff says that the product is made form rosemary and other natural herbal extracts. Vic said; “It generally results in an extension of shelf life of from two to ten times un-dipped foods. In addition, the nutritional quality will be maintained better as fungi and molds are not consuming nutrients for their own growth.”

This product may potentially replace the use of chlorine and other chemicals in the sanitizing of fresh produce and seafood.

More information about this product can be found at http://cherikoff.net/herbal-active/natural-food-rinse.html

This article has been written by Rachelle Williams – The Green Food Safety Coach.