A&b Ingredients Touts Benefits Of Sprayed Lethality In Container(slic) Process In Prevention Of Food

Aug. 19, 2010 - PRLog -- Advanced antimicrobial systems, once considered too expensive, can now be competitive with a Sprayed Lethality in Container, or SLlC® process, says A&B Ingredients a leading developer, marketer and distributor of food ingredients.

SLIC is a patent-pending process designed to improve the safety of ready to eat (RTE) processed meat products against foodborne contaminants.  But unlike its conventional rivals, SLIC is based on introducing an antimicrobial into the vacuum packaging of the RTE meat products before, or as the product is inserted, using the force of the vacuum to spread the antimicrobial purge.

According to A&B Ingredients, rather than the traditional means of bathing, dipping or spraying, SLIC treats the surface of the meat product. Unlike potassium lactate that is used internally in the product as part of the product's formulation, chemicals used in SLIC applications are applied only to the surface. Only a relatively small amount of chemical is needed to cover the surface of the product as vacuum is applied to the package. The limited amount of chemical needed in the SLIC process is based on the surface area of the product and not the weight.  

As an additional benefit, because only sparse amounts of chemicals are used in the SLIC process, product flavor is enhanced, says the ingredients marketer

The chemical used in the SLIC process is CytoGuard LA®.  It contains Lauric Arginate and unlike traditional organic acids, it is non-corrosive and safer to use, especially in dilution.  
“Organic acids, which even diluted, can pose a significant risk of chemical burn,” says A&B Ingredients’ Managing Director Gil Bakal.  CytoGuard LA, which is available through A&B Ingredients, typically delivers less than 500 ppm in the finished product.
“The ingredient costs will depend on the finished product, surface area and weight. In the case of the 3 pound published ham study, the cost of the required amount of CytoGuard LA was $0.0056 per pound,” he notes.

In touting the benefits of the SLIC system Bakal further states that unlike sprays and dips used to apply antimicrobials to meat products, SLIC applications have an almost unlimited time to perform their function. Sprays and dips must work within a matter of seconds, and dwell time is critical. Since the amount of chemical in sprays and dips is always in excess of the amount needed, there is a considerable amount of waste due to drip loss, spillage, evaporation and dilution. By contrast, the SLIC system is not time critical and because there is little chemical usage, waste is virtually nonexistent resulting in lower cost to the user.  

“The efficacy of the SLIC process has been established by the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and these systems have a proven track record in effectively controlling pathogens.  In fact, two to three log reductions are typical,” said Bakal.

Founded in 1990, A&B Ingredients is a leading developer, marketer and distributor of high quality natural food ingredients.  Among the products offered are pea proteins, antioxidants, antimicrobials and natural and artificial flavors.  Based on a tradition of research and development, A&B’s focus is to discover unique flavors and ingredients that enable its customers to create value-added products. The company is committed to working, as a partner, to develop prototypes of new beverages and improved food products.  A&B maintains full applications labs, pilot plant facilities with consumer testing capabilities, and provides technical sales and marketing, importing, distribution and applications development/technical services.

For more information, contact A&B Ingredients at 973-227-1390 or visit A&B’s website at www.abingredients.com.  You can also follow A&B Ingredients on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/abingredients.

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.Founded in 1990, A&B Ingredients is a leading developer, marketer and distributor of high quality natural food ingredients. Among the products offered are pea proteins, antioxidants, antimicrobials and natural and artificial flavors. Based on a tradition of research and development, A&B’s focus is to discover unique flavors and ingredients that enable its customers to create value-added products. The company is committed to working, as a partner, to develop prototypes of new beverages and improved food products. A&B maintains full applications labs, pilot plant facilities with consumer testing capabilities, and provides technical sales and marketing, importing, distribution and applications development/technical services.