Antibacterial Activity of Several Organic Acids Commonly Used as Food Additives

Abstract

Among 9 organic acids commonly used as food additives in Japan, fumaric acid (FA) exhibited the strongest growth-inhibiting (GI) action on 20 Gram-negative bacterial strains tested. Growth of these 20 strains, including 3 Salmonella serovars, Escherichia coli, E. cloacae, Klebsiella oxytoca, K. pneumoniae, Acinetobacter anitratus, Proteus mirabilis, or Pseudomonas aeruginosa, was inhibited within 160 seconds of contact with 0.3 w/v% solution of FA, although strains of S. Typhimurium exhibited lower susceptibility than the others. Both Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus were resistant to the GI action of FA and other organic acids. The GI action of FA was remarkably improved by the addition of 0.3-0.1% ascorbic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid or citric acid monohydrate.

Effects of selected chemicals on microbial stability of turkey meat

“…Esters of fumaric acid have also been reported to retard mould growth on bread (HUHTANEN and GUY, 1984). SHIMUZU et al (1995) reported that among 9 organic acids commonly used as food additives in Japan, fumaric acid exhibited the strongest growth inhibiting action within 160 s of contact with 0.3% (w/v) solution on 20 gram negative bacteria tested. Fumaric acid at a concentration of 1% (w/v) was the most effective than acetic or lactic acids in reducing the populations of Listeria monocytogenes by up to 1 log unit and E.coli O157:H7 by up to 1.3 log units on lean beef surfaces (PODOLAK et al, 1996b).…”