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PRESERVATIVES AGAINST LISTERIA IN READY MEALS

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The ready meals food industry has obtained popularity in recent years due to its convenience, quality and added value. In a world where many workers eat at work, it has become a cheaper option than going to a restaurant, or quicker if you don’t have time to prepare the next day’s meal at home.

However, ensuring food safety and extending the shelf life of this type of food are key challenges for R&D managers in the food industry.

We will now address the main concerns related to the microbiology of these products and finally present the innovative preservation solutions that Amerex offers to these companies.

What are ready meals?

Ready meals are prepared and cooked products that, after a pasteurisation or sterilisation process, are vacuum or protective atmosphere packaged and ready to eat, usually after heating in an oven or microwave.

This food segment includes gourmet ready meals such as different types of rice dishes, roast chicken, vegetable preparations, salads, soups, sauces and side dishes etc. Aimed at consumers looking for a quick pre-prepared food without compromising on quality.

As we can see, there are fresh prepared dishes (salad or potato omelette) and others that have undergone heat treatment or HPP (rice, chicken, creams), which will also determine the microbiological and shelf-life problems of the food.

What microbiological problems affect ready meals?

Despite controls during production, ready meals may be exposed to microbiological contamination, especially after thermal processing and packaging.

Storage temperatures and subsequent handling are critical factors that may favour the growth of undesirable microorganisms and often these parameters cannot be assured.

  • In the case of fresh ready meals, organoleptic problems caused by heterofermentative bacteria affecting texture, flavour, colour, etc. are more likely to occur.
  • In the case of treated ready meals, secondary shelf life can also be compromised with undesirable acidification and the appearance of moulds and yeasts.

What are the main pathogens in ready meals?

One of the main pathogens that can be found in ready meals is Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria is a bacterium capable of growing under refrigerated conditions and is known to cause listeriosis, a disease that can be serious in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised persons.

Other relevant pathogenic microorganisms affecting this type of food also include: Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Clostridium botulinum.

Why is it important to prevent Listeria contamination in ready meals?

Listeria represents a food safety challenge due to its ability to adapt to harsh environments, including cold. In addition to the health problems it can cause, a single case of listeria can have a serious impact on brand reputation and regulatory compliance. Implementing effective control strategies is therefore critical.

On 21 November 2024, an amendment to Regulation (EU) 2024/2895 was published, introducing changes to the food safety criteria for Listeria monocytogenes. Regulation (EU) 2024/2895 was published, amending Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 as regards the food safety criteria for Listeria monocytogenes. As mentioned above, this pathogen represents a serious risk to public health due to its high lethality rate, as evidenced in the EFSA report on zoonoses, which reported a 15.9% increase in cases of listeriosis in 2022 compared to 2021.

In this case the amendment establishes that the criterion of ‘Listeria monocytogenes not detected in 25 g’ will apply to all ready-to-eat foods during their shelf-life, in those products that may allow the bacteria to grow.

This measure aims to provide a high and consistent level of protection throughout the food chain, from production to distribution, to ensure consumer safety and affects many of the pre-cooked convenience foods discussed in the article.

What natural preservatives does Amerex offer for ready meals preservation?

Amerex Ingredients has more than 40 years of experience in biotechnology developing innovative and natural microbiology-based solutions to improve shelf life and food safety. For ready meals, Amerex includes a range of products including protective cultures that prevent the development of pathogenic microorganisms and help maintain the microbiological stability of the product.

In addition, we are able to offer customised solutions, designed according to the specific needs of the product and its sensory profile, ensuring a clean label approach.

Food safety and shelf life are essential pillars for the success of pre-cooked convenience foods. Amerex Ingredients’ natural and customised solutions enable companies in the sector to meet market expectations while ensuring safe and high quality products.

Do you want to know more about how our clean label solutions can benefit your business? Contact us and discover the innovation that Amerex Ingredients can bring to your ready meals!

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THE MEANING OF THE CLEAN LABEL ON FOOD

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In the last few years, labelling has become more and more important to target a product effectively under the consumer’s eyes. Labelling is increasingly evolving to meet the trends and objectives of society. In this regard, the focus today is to have a clean label, which is based on providing information as simple and understandable as possible, and always free of artificial ingredients and/or E-numbers registered in European regulations. In this blog post we will explain a little bit more about the meaning of the clean label on food.

What does it mean when I have a clean label product?

In fact, the term clean label has no “official” or legal definition, as it was created in a casual way between industry and consumers in response to trends towards healthier lifestyle. Therefore, there will be different definitions or interpretations. For example, some say that clean label products are those that do not contain E-number additives, while others also claim that they are allergen-free products. In short, we can say that a clean label product aims to classify the ingredients of the food, making it easily identifiable and giving a healthier perception.

Heart-shaped foods that represent healthy living

Why is this clean labelling trend becoming so important?

As mentioned before, clean label products have recently gained more and more popularity among consumers, mostly because they meet the needs of those who are conscious about their diet, in other words, the needs of those who are aware of the ingredients in the products brought to their table, and who deliberately avoid foods that contain synthetic ingredients or additives. This trend is becoming particularly important among young people, who are realising earlier that they want healthy, clean and transparent food.

A different term is “clear label”, which is intended to make products clearer in their content claims and/or nutritional information. However, it should not be mistaken with the term clean label, which literally means that the ingredients of a product do not contain E-numbers.

What are the labelling characteristics of clean label products?

Clean label products base their labelling on three basic characteristics, which are described below.

Less ingredients, but still safe

Today’s consumers consider that the most natural products are those with fewer additives in their composition, while keeping the same characteristics and maintaining a less artificial, more natural and homemade organoleptic. In addition, we must not lose sight of the fact that the lack of certain elements in the product can lead to a significant reduction in its shelf-life. Therefore, manufacturers must find ways to balance the safety of their products and the customer’s demand to consume more natural foods in order to meet this clean labelling profile.

Natural alternatives to artificial additives

Clean label products should be natural solutions to additives and other artificial ingredients. As an example, it is common to replace preservative E-330 or citric acid with lemon juice concentrate. While citric acid is faster in its action and neutral in taste, the lemon juice concentrate requires R&D to establish the most suitable use and dosage, both for functionality and organoleptic characteristics.

Also from our own company, Fermitrat Export to remove lactic / acetic acid, Safemix-AV as an alternative to sulphites or Biamex-YM to replace sorbate.

Processing and manufacturing of the product

On the other hand, it is also important that clean label products explain the manufacturing processes and the supply chain they go through. The ultimate aim is for consumers to be able to know the full traceability of the food they buy, which will generate greater reliability towards the product and towards the food company that manufactures it.

What can I do as a food manufacturer to include clean labelling as part of my products?

Companies are always changing to face the needs and demands of their environment, and this new approach to labelling is no exception. Consumers want to be sure that their choices are valid for their shopping basket, so it is an absolute must for companies to try to guarantee all the requirements mentioned above.

At Amerex, we believe that there are some essential questions that should be answered when making the switch to a clean labelling on food. Just because we want to improve labelling does not mean that we should remove ingredients no matter what. When replacing an E-number additive with a natural alternative, it must be effective and guarantee a similar shelf life and organoleptic properties to those achieved with additives.

Is the clean label preservative effective in food?

Food will always need ingredients, additives or flavourings, whether natural or synthetic. It is imperative for a company to consider these differences, as the ultimate goal is that food safety is fully guaranteed and it will depend on the chosen ingredients to be added to the food.

Furthermore, it is not only this choice between natural ingredients or additives that is important. We understand food protection as a system of barriers in which the application of any of the following strategies contributes to the final result: good manufacturing practices, heat treatments / HPP, packaging, storage…

Do we acknowledge the technology by which the clean label preservative works in food?

It is important to be transparent and ethical in the communication of the product’s mechanisms of action. Amerex solutions contain well-known and widely used ingredients, with no hidden additives. Any additional barrier to increase safety is always welcome as long as it is placed in a regulated framework and contains complete and accurate information for the consumer.

Is the natural preservative a cost-effective alternative?

As we have demonstrated in other blog posts and can further explain to you in a chat with us, using these natural preservatives is always an investment and not an expense. Beyond the fact that they will normally be more expensive than chemical preservatives, the differences are narrowed by the lower dosages used. And most importantly, when using them we avoid brand damage and quantifiable gains as you are not wasting spoiled product. This solution pays for itself and is aligned with today’s popular circular economy.

Spoons with spices on it

Where can I find natural and clean label alternatives for my products?

At Amerex, we always claim for clean labelling on food, as we rely on our biotechnology-based solutions for the development of clean label products that protect against the growth of pathogens and other spoilage microorganisms, and which also prevent commercial food defects (acidity, colour, gas, etc.). As well as improving the organoleptic properties of the final product, making it more attractive to the consumer.

We support our customers on how to obtain a cost-effective, safe and innovative manufacturing process in line with current trends in labelling, whilst putting the needs and well-being of the company and its products first.

Ultimately, we are able to guarantee natural, safe and transparent ingredients for the consumer. No matter which sector you are in, contact us because we can help you find natural alternatives for achieving your desired clean label product.

imasd@amerexingredientes.es

Phone number: +34 91 845 42 14

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BEST PRACTICES IN FOOD HANDLING

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Hello everyone and welcome again to our Blog! In this post we will talk about a very important and often neglected topic, best practices in food handling. One of the most common health problems in our society is the emergence of foodborne diseases. These can already exist or be generated from the manufacturing of the food to its commercialisation, so we have to be aware of the necessity to comply with the strict requirements established for the correct manufacture and handling of the food.

Manufacturers working with all hygienic measures for food handling.

What are the risks of poor food handling?

As we have just mentioned, the contamination risks to which food is exposed happen throughout the whole food chain. It is therefore essential to take extreme precautions when working with foodstuffs in order to avoid the hazards caused by poor food handling. These hazards include the following.

Physical hazards

Meaning any foreign body that is present in a food and that comes from contamination during processing operations or from external contamination. Some of the causes that trigger these hazards are:

  • Carelessness in the process resulting in leftover packaging material, plastics, glass, metal splinters, other foreign bodies…
  • Bad practices by the handlers due to the presence of rings or other accessories, band-aids, etc.
  • Contamination of the raw material with pieces of plant material, bones, shells, etc.
  • Other causes of contamination

Chemical hazards

They are associated with wastes of products used in the manufacturing, processing, transport and/or storage of food. These include disinfectants, pesticides, or heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury or tin.

Biological hazards

Meaning all contaminations that cause food poisoning, including the presence of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts, fungi, parasites and viruses that come from the air, water and soil. Bacteria and viruses are the most dangerous for food safety, causing diseases such as listeriosis, salmonellosis, or gastroenteritis caused by norovirus. To avoid all these dangers, at Amerex we have developed and implemented our FSSC 22000 system and we follow very strict process management protocols to control these risks in each and every one of our manufacturing stages.

Is it necessary to take hygienic measures in food handling?

We have already discussed the hazards, it is now time to assess the causes. Almost all of them are due to poor handling practices, so for the food sector, a strict training and awareness of good hygiene practices is essential. That hygiene rules must be followed to avoid any type of contamination in the manufacturing of food. These rules include both the hygiene practices of the employees who will be in contact with food and the way food is handled.

Hygiene measures for food handlers

When handling food it is necessary to pay attention to clothing and accessories. It is important to wear specific clothing and footwear and to wear mask and hats to prevent hair loss when in contact with food. In addition, jewellery or other personal items should not be worn meanwhile perfumes, shaving lotions and other items with specific odours that can cause food to undergo physical and chemical alterations should be avoided.

Food handlers should thoroughly wash their hands, arms, forearms and fingernails at the beginning and end of the day. They should also repeat this process when starting over work after a break or when changing tasks. After sneezing, blowing their nose, going to the toilet and touching other devices or materials it is important to wash hands. In addition, extreme caution should be exercised in all these measures in the event of exposure to raw food.

Cuts and abrasions on the skin should be covered with a bandage tinted with a metal strip of a different colour than the product being treated and additional single-use gloves should be worn if these injuries take place on hands.

Hygiene rules should also be taken into account to avoid transfer of pathogens from the mouth and nostrils to food. Avoiding coughing or sneezing in the direction of handled products, using disposable tissues and not eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum throughout food manufacturing are essential measures to avoid contamination.

Handling food during grape harvesting

What precautions should we take when handling food?

When handling food there are a number of hygienic recommendations that should also be taken into consideration:

  • Do not handle dirty food or food picked up from the floor.
  • Avoid the use of wooden utensils
  • Use single-use hand paper
  • Do not place food or trays on the floor
  • Defrost food in an optimal way and never refreeze a defrosted product
  • Do not use sawdust or cardboard on the floor
  • Use different utensils for raw and cooked food
  • Never bring raw food in contact with food that has already been cooked or is being consumed fresh.
  • Use a food thermometer to check the optimum cooking temperature of food.

To avoid food poisoning, it is essential to take into consideration all the advice given in this Blog post and making the best practices in food handling an essential routine, even in our own homes.

How can the care for best practices in food handling be improved?

We have mentioned before our commitment to food safety and food security. At Amerex, in addition to maintaining our FSSC 22000 standard to guarantee the manufacturing of safe and harmless food, our entire company is informed of our food safety policy and best practices in food handling. We even remind people of this protocols through annual safety awareness days. We also have a specialised safety team always aware of any hazards that compromise the safety of the final product.

Do you still have any doubts about the care and attention we take in best practices? Contact us and we will answer any questions you may have.

imasd@amerexingredientes.es

Phone number: +34 91 845 42 14

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THE ORGANOLEPTIC QUALITY OF FOOD

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The improvement of the organoleptic characteristics of food can be achieved through the use of additives but also with the use of natural ingredients. In this blog post we will find out how this can be done, which tests the food industry uses to upgrade their products, and which examples of natural ingredients help to improve the organoleptic quality of food.

What are the general properties of food?

Consumers value four groups of food characteristics for their consumption:

  • Sensory or organoleptic characteristics – Colour, taste and smell of the food
  • Physical characteristics – Texture
  • Nutritional characteristics
  • Temporal characteristics – Shelf-life of the food
Se muestra una variedad de alimentos

What are the organoleptic characteristics of food?

The four main organoleptic characteristics of food are colour, taste, smell and texture. These are characteristics that we perceive through our senses and which are decisive in the first impression of the food that we are going to eat. It is therefore very important to take them into account.

Colour

Colour is key in the consumer’s perception of food. It is the first thing we see and it tells us what chemical reactions have taken place during the shelf-life of the food, from manufacturing to consumption. Colour changes in food can show up due to the exposure to light or air, both catalysts in the biochemical reaction that create peroxides responsible for food oxidations. This oxidation results in colour changes from fresh to spoil.

Colour measurement is an effective thermometer in many cases to determine this type of deterioration.  Techniques such as spectrophotometry or technologies such as Minolta are used to evaluate colour changes and use well-defined scales to compare the colour of both liquid and solid foods.

Taste

Five types of flavours are identified in the food industry: salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami. It is also possible to distinguish between slow tastes and immediate tastes.

In general, all substances have a single taste that is made up of several different flavours.

Smell

Odour is defined by the different volatile substances that are present in food that either come from the food itself naturally, or are the result of adding flavouring ingredients into the food.

When a food is spoiled, it is easy to detect it by the smell.

Texture

Texture is definitely another factor to be taken into consideration, since we use our sense of touch to evaluate food’s condition and choose the one that best suits our own preferences. Some parameters for evaluation are hardness, thickness, viscosity or rigidity. The consumer knows how to detect when any of these parameters becomes unpleasant and that is automatically related to a microbiological alteration that results in us avoiding its consumption.

Se muestra cómo unos técnicos comprueban la textura de un embutido

What additives and ingredients does the industry use to boost the organoleptic quality of food?

Substances used by the food industry to boost the organoleptic quality of food can be divided into two groups: artificial additives and natural ingredients.

Ingredients such as spices, in the same way as salt for preservation or vinegar to extend the shelf-life of food, have properties that improve the organoleptic quality of food.

For example rosemary extract, which not only ensures the flavour and colour of food but also provides aroma and works as an antioxidant. Others such as basil, parsley, oregano or dill enhance flavours, while saffron, turmeric or curry modify the colour while providing food a special aroma and flavour. Other spices provide even more intense flavours, such as pepper or chilli that give a spicy vibe to our food. Many fruits and vegetables also improve the organoleptic characteristics of food thanks to their high pigmentation. Beetroot or blueberries provide more intense tones, while bananas, dates or figs substitute sugars for sweetness.

How to analyse the organoleptic qualities of food in order to know its quality?

We can determine the organoleptic quality of foods by means of many tests to get an idea of their characteristics. One of the most decisive factors in testing is perception, which is evaluated by thresholds. A threshold is the value at which the effects of a stimulus become perceptible to the senses. This threshold is made from the active ingredients in the food within the organoleptic scope. There are several thresholds of perception:

  • The detection threshold, the minimum amount of an odorant to be detected.
  • The recognition threshold is the level of a stimulus needed not only to be detected but also recognized.
  • The differential threshold is the magnitude of change in the stimulus necessary to generate an alteration that is perceptible.
  • The terminal threshold is the maximum value of a stimulus above which an increase in intensity is not perceived.

Perception is the response to organoleptic characteristics. It is therefore a true reflection of food quality that the food industry uses to evaluate consumers. The trend analysis for this evaluation are carried out by quality technicians with different backgrounds such as nutritionists, chemists and engineers. In order to determine the organoleptic quality of a foodstuff, the so-called organoleptic analysis or tasting panels are also carried out. These are qualitative expert assessments based on the evaluation of a sample through the senses. The senses involved in organoleptic analysis are sight, smell, taste and touch, and this analysis is subjective in any case.

How to improve the organoleptic characteristics of food by using natural ingredients?

At Amerex we are always committed to natural ingredients as preservative solutions, which not only help to improve the shelf-life of foodstuffs but also their organoleptic properties.

We have a wide range of ripening starters that through enzymatic activities of microorganisms are able to generate a good colour, flavour and aroma in the sausage. In addition, preservative solutions that maintain the organoleptic condition of the food during its shelf-life. Or even solutions based on yeast technology to provide specific and traditional organoleptic characteristics to the final product.

Replacing chemical additives with natural ingredients is possible, and it also means an upgrade in those products that consumers are increasingly demanding. The clean label philosophy is here to stay, and many manufacturers are committed to meeting the needs of a more demanding end customer.

Contact us to find out about our products that can fit in any food, from meat to vegan products, dairy, fish, ready meals, beverages and sauces or bakery products. We are available for you!

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