Safe Salads
An anti-microbial ingredients system used to reduce or eliminate Listeria monocytogenes in high-risk, meat-containing deli salads and sauces has been approved by the USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS). Rhodia's NovaGARD[tm] CB1 is a blend of GRAS ingredients (cultured dextrose, sodium diacetate, egg white lysozyme, nisin preparation) that has been tested in items such as coleslaw, potato surimi and tuna salads by Certified Labs (Plainview, N.Y.). NovaGARD[tm] CB1 functions as both a post-lethality treatment and a growth inhibitor, eliminating the need for additional antimicrobial agents or processes to qualify for Alternative 1 as defined in the Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Products, Final Rule (68FR34207; June 6, 2003). Now commercially available, NovaGARD[tm] CB1 can be easily included in dressings or sauces, and, unlike other antimicrobial treatments, does not affect deli foods' taste or texture. Rhodia Food, Jo Ann Sterenberg, 574-264-2557, joann.sterenberg@us.rhodia.com