Chemical Preservatives and Natural Antimicrobial Compounds

This chapter talks about antimicrobial compounds that are divided into two classes: traditional and naturally occurring. Antimicrobials are classified as traditional when they (i) have been used for many years, (ii) are approved by many countries for inclusion as antimicrobials in foods, or (iii) are produced by synthetic processes. Next, the chapter discusses the factors affecting activity and traditional antimicrobials and ester derivatives of some weak organic acids. Many fatty acid esters exhibit antimicrobial activity in foods, with glycerol monolaurate being one of the most effective. Traditional antimicrobials and natural food antimicrobials are important tools for preserving food from microbiological…