Natural antimicrobials increasingly preferred over synthetic

Functional food ingredients will increasingly be used as active agents in food antimicrobial coatings, Frost & Sullivan has predicted.

A new report, Advances in Food Antimicrobial Coatings, finds that polysaccharides, bacteriocins, essential oils, enzymes, proteins and lipids are widely used as natural antimicrobials, although several technical challenges need to be addressed to ensure their adoption across all subsegments of food preservation.

Using antimicrobial food coatings enables manufacturers to reduce several packaging layers, satisfy the increasing requirements of food safety and quality and extend the shelf life of food - especially ready-to-eat food and perishables.

“The use of functional food ingredients as active agents in food antimicrobial coatings will increase due to a growing focus on food safety and standards, and end-user preference for natural ingredients,” said Frost & Sullivan’s Technical Insights Research Analyst Aarthi Janakiraman.

“However, the use of metallic ions and synthetics will remain prolific caused by the gap between research efforts pertaining to the development of natural extracts and their commercial use, such as antimicrobials.”

The development of targeted antimicrobial food coating is also crucial to ensure adoption of these coatings, as strict regulatory and industrial approval processes and the emerging concept of additive-free food products challenge the technology’s acceptance.

Antimicrobial food coating developers need to implement efficient management strategies to leverage their technologies. In-house research and development will facilitate the design of products that are in line with the company’s mission and vision, and will enhance the ability to react quickly to market requirements. Strategic partnerships will aid start-ups to raise funds for infrastructure and manufacturing facilities, and encourage innovation.

“Technology licensing is an ideal way to utilise the innovative platforms developed by universities and small companies,” said Janakiraman. “Licensing will enable quicker commercialisation through market agreements and help industry majors to expand their product and patent portfolios.”

The report is available on the Frost & Sullivan website: www.frost.com.