Article: Oregano Oil Protecting Food from E. coli

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E Coli :: Edible coating oregano oil keeps food safe from E. coli

 

 

http://www.freshplaza.com/2006/30nov/2_us_ediblecoatings.htm

 

A natural, edible coating could help keep deadly E.colibacteria and

other nasty bugs away from fresh produce, U.S. government scientists

report.

 

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture say the new compounds

reduce the risk of infection from deadly E.coli O157:H7 bacteria and

other foodborne microorganisms. They report their findings in the Nov.

29 issue of theJournal of Food and Agricultural Chemistry.

 

" We hope that these coatings will have wide commercial potential, " said

Tara McHugh, a food chemist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's

Agricultural Service in Albany, Calif. Her team conducted lab tests on

theE. coli-inhibiting ability of apple-puree food coatings containing

one of three natural antimicrobial compounds: oregano, lemongrass and

cinnamon oil.

 

The researchers say the oregano oil coating was the most effective,

killing more than 50 percent of E.coli O157:H7 bacteria within three

minutes.

 

Because such coatings contain sticky sugars and fats, they may adhere

longer to fresh produce and provide a more concentrated, longer-lasting

method for killing bacteria than conventional, water-based washes,

McHugh said.

 

That would be welcome news to consumers who have been bombarded with

reports this fall about food safety, starting with the E.coli O157:H7

scare in mid-September that killed three Americans and sickened nearly

200 others who ate tainted spinach.

 

Subsequent scares included a salmonella outbreak that sickened 171

people in 19 states, plus recalls of E.coli-tainted lettuce and ground

beef. And on Monday, officials at the USDA announced that a type of

salmonella typically found in eggs is turning up with increasing

frequency in chicken meat.

 

But some scientists wonder if edible coatings with antimicrobial

compounds will prove practical in improving food safety outside of the

laboratory.

 

" They haven't yet been tested in the real world, which means they need

to be tested on fresh fruits and vegetables. So we don't know how

efficacious they would really be, " said Dr. Pascal James Imperato,

chairman of the department of preventive medicine and community health

at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, and a

former New York City health commissioner.

 

" When produce is shipped, it undergoes a great deal of handling and

exposure to many different temperature environments, " Imperato said.

" For this to have commercial applications, it would have to undergo much

more stringent scientific study. "

 

Food allergy is another possible complication, Imperato said. " Suppose

you have someone who's allergic to oregano? I would view this study as

showing interesting preliminary scientific results that would have to be

corroborated by other scientists before these coatings are adopted by

the commercial fresh produce industry. "

 

Because E.coli and other microorganisms can lurk anywhere on the surface

-- or even the interior -- of fresh produce, it's possible that the

coatings might not affect them all, said Arun Bhunia, professor of food

microbiology at the Purdue University department of food science in West

Lafayette, Ind.

 

" My concern is that only a small portion of the food would be in direct

contact with the film, " Bhunia said. " How can it be assured that the

entire content of a package would be exposed to the antimicrobial agent

and thus provide safety? How stable is this compound, and how long would

it maintain its activity? It also appears that the researchers have not

tested many strains of E.coli O157:H7 to assess overall efficacy. "

 

" This is the beginning of a three-year project, " McHugh said. " We'll be

testing a wide range of natural compounds, not just against E.coli but

also against listeria and salmonella. The ones that are shown to be

effective will be tested directly on produce and meat products. We need

to find out if these compounds are active against bacteria that adhere

in different ways to different foods. "

 

" But, at this point, it looks promising, " McHugh said. If the new

research continues to show promise, she predicted that edible,

antimicrobial coatings could find commercial application within a year

or two. Edible food coatings without antimicrobial activity have already

been used commercially because they help prevent spoilage, she noted.

 

The USDA's commercial partner, Origami Foods, has used apple puree

coatings on hams, and has used and carrot- and tomato-based films on

sushi, she said. In addition, restaurant chefs have used both fruit- and

vegetable-based coatings on everything from appetizers to main courses

and desserts.

 

" We very much want to transfer the technologies we develop into

commercialization, but we can only do that through partnerships with

other companies, " McHugh said. " Some of the reasons we at USDA are

interested in this research is to help growers get more value from their

fruits and vegetables, and also to help consumers eat more fruits and

vegetables. "