Organic food preservative compositions
The subject invention provides compositions and methods for preserving food products. Specifically, the subject compositions and methods can be used to prolong the consumable life of food products, as well as to reduce and/or prevent spoilage and/or contamination by microbial agents. The compositions comprise a blend of one or more glycolipids and one or more lipopeptides. The compositions comprise sophorolipids and surfactin, lichenysin or another lipopeptide biosurfactant.
1. A method for extending the consumable life of a food product, comprising contacting a food preservative composition with the food product, wherein said food preservative composition comprises a biosurfactant blend comprising one or more glycolipids and one or more lipopeptides, wherein said one or more glycolipids comprises a sophorolipid, said one or more lipopeptides comprises surfactin and/or lichenysin, a total concentration of the biosurfactant blend in the food preservative composition is from about 0.005% to about 1.0%, and the food preservative composition at said concentration is in the food product to be consumed.
2. The method of claim 1 , comprising about 10 ppm to about 10,000 ppm of said one or more glycolipids.
3. The method of claim 1 , comprising about 1 ppm to about 5,000 ppm of said one or more lipopeptides.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said one or more glycolipids comprises a sophorolipid and said one or more lipopeptides comprises a surfactin.
5. The method of claim 4 , comprising about 0.1% sophorolipid and 0.01% surfactin.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition contacted with the food product comprises live or inactive cells of a biosurfactant-producing yeast, fungus and/or bacterium.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition is contacted with the food product by spraying, dipping, spreading, misting, or mixing.
8. The method of claim 1 , used to prevent and/or control harmful microbial growth on a food product.
9. The method of claim 1 , used to prevent the alteration and/or decomposition of a food product.
10. The method of claim 1 , used to enhance the safety of a food product for consumption by preventing food poisoning or illness due to harmful food-borne microorganisms.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said one or more glycolipids further comprises a mannosylerythritol lipid.