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Edible Food Wrap Kills Deadly E. Coli Bacteria

Article Date: 19 Nov 2006 - 8:00am (PST)
Researchers have improved upon an edible coating for fresh fruits and vegetables by enabling it to kill deadly E. coli bacteria while also providing a flavor-boost to food. Composed of apple puree and oregano oil, which acts as a natural antibacterial agent, the coating shows promise in laboratory studies of becoming a long-lasting, potent alternative to conventional produce washes, according to a team of scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the University of Lleida in Spain.

The study comes on the heels of the recent deadly E. coli outbreak in spinach and amid growing concern by experts that some produce-cleaning techniques may not be effective in destroying E. coli. The study is scheduled for the Nov. 29 issue of the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

"All produce-cleaning methods help to some degree, but our new coatings and films may provide a more concentrated, longer-lasting method for killing bacteria," says Research Leader Tara H. McHugh, Ph.D., a food chemist with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service in Albany, Calif. As the films are made of fruit or vegetable puree, they also provide added health benefits such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, she says.

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While all of the oils tested inhibited the growth of E. coli, oregano oil was the most effective, killing over 50 percent of sample bacteria in 3 minutes at concentrations as small as 0.034 percent, says McHugh, who's now working on improving the kill rate.

The second most effective oil was lemongrass, followed by cinnamon oil. By contrast, the apple-puree film alone did not kill the E. coli bacteria, the scientist says.

However, an advantage of the apple antibacterial film is that it is composed of sticky sugars and lipids, which allow the coating to adhere to fruits and vegetables for longer periods than conventional, water-based produce washes. That same stickiness also gives the suspended antimicrobial agents a more concentrated exposure to bacterial surfaces, increasing the film's germ-killing potential, the researchers say.

The antibacterial coating could be used by produce manufacturers as a spray or dip for fresh fruits and vegetables, they say. The resulting product will taste a bit like oregano, McHugh says, adding that this can be a desirable trait in salads.

Besides apple puree, the antimicrobial films can also be made from broccoli, tomato, carrot, mango, peach, pear and a variety of other produce items. Non-antimicrobial versions of these food wraps are now being made commercially by California-based Origami Foods® in cooperation with the USDA for use in a small but growing number of food applications, including sushi wraps.

The American Chemical Society - the world's largest scientific society - is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

Contact: Michael Bernstein
American Chemical Society