Vitiva Debuts VivOX as Antimicrobial Agent

The growing trend toward removing synthetic preservatives from foods due to their possible and perceived side effects on human health has led to a growing demand to replace them with natural ingredients with antimicrobial properties.

Vitiva, DOO., Slovenia, introduces VivOX, a powerful antioxidant based on rosemary extract as a potential natural antimicrobial agent. VivOX family can be used in processed meat products, especially chicken and poultry products.

Currently, many synthetic compounds such as nitrites, benzoates, sorbates and lactates are used in the marketplace for preventing microbiological spoilage in food.

The growing trend toward removing synthetic preservatives from foods due to their possible and perceived side effects on human health has led to a growing demand to replace them with natural ingredients with antimicrobial properties.

“VivOX is a breakthrough natural ingredient for preserving and preventing microbial damage in foods,” says Ohad Cohen, CEO of Vitiva. “This powerful antioxidant opens up new opportunities for protecting food, yet enabling manufacturers to apply a ‘clean’ label.”

Multiple in vitro studies have shown rosemary extracts possess strong antimicrobial properties, particularly against the microorganisms that known to cause food spoilage. It is especially effective against microbial organisms such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enteritidis, and Escherichia coli.

“This is a good starting point for further testing in food systems,” states Cohen.

An article published in the September, 2006, Journal of Food Science described the potential of the antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of oil-soluble rosemary extracts VivOX 20 and VivOX 4 against lipid oxidation and microbial growth in vacuum-packed chicken frankfurters compared to a commercially available preservative and a control product made without additives. The results expressed as APC (CFU/g) clearly showed both VivOX 20 and VivOX 4 possess antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that may make them highly suitable for meat applications in the food industry.