Natamycin, an Example of a Successful Natural Preservative

Nicole Dutreux

DSM Food Specialties

Delft, The Netherlands

DSM is one of the main suppliers of natural preservatives for the food market; examples are natamycin, nisin and lysozyme. The antifungal agent natamycin was discovered by DSM in the 1950s and is still widely used for the prevention of mould and yeast growth on food products, it is produced by fermentation using Streptomyces natalensis. Natamycin is active against most fungi at low concentrations while it has no negative effect on bacterial starter or ripening cultures. Some other advantages are: easy to apply; active at high, neutral and low pH; no negative effect on product quality; safe for the consumer. Natamycin is one of the few examples of a natural preservative which really became a commercial success. This lecture will present the advantages of natural preservatives, but also the remarkable low amount

of approved new natural preservatives will be discussed. Regulatory barrieres, long time to market due to slow procedures, relatively high registration and tox study costs, technological limitations and the importance of a good patent position are important points of attention.