
Compounds in Horseradish May Keep Food
FresherBy Jill Lee February 1, 1999Some people love putting a dollop of horseradish on their steamy roast beef.
As it turns out, this natural taste-maker may also be a useful food
preservative. Agricultural Research Service food
technologist Henry Fleming and Oklahoma State
University food chemist Brian Shofran proved both horseradish and mustard
oil pack a punch against Listeria, E. Coli, Staphylococcus
aureus and other food pathogens you definitely don't want in your sandwich.
That's because these condiments contain a pungent chemical with the unsavory
name allyl isothiocyanate (AITC). Mustard oil has 93 percent AITC, but has a
milder flavor than horseradish which, has 60 percent AITC. Shofran did the research as a graduate student under Fleming. Shofran is now
an analytical chemist at OSUs Food & Agricultural Products
Center. In 1989, USDA issued a "zero
tolerance" policy for Listeria monocytogenes, but consumers demand
that foods rely less on man-made preservatives. This research fits in with the
trend of seeking natural substitutes for chemical preservatives in the food
industry. Many scientists have investigated allicin, a natural microbe inhibitor found
in garlic. If Fleming and Shofran's work is borne out by others' research,
their savory spices could join the natural arsenal against malevolent microbes.
ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Scientific contact: Henry Fleming, ARS
Food Science
Research Unit, Raleigh, N.C., phone (919) 515-2979; fax (919) 856-4361,
[email protected];
Brian
Shofran, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla., phone (405)
744-4115, fax (405) 744-6313, [email protected]. Story contacts Food Science Research U.S. Department of Agriculture | |