Biotech firm Innodal’s Listeria-targeting food processing aid receives GRAS status

10 Sep 2024 --- Canadian biotech company Innodal has acquired Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status for Inneo. This food processing aid eliminates the pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, which causes foodborne infections, using antimicrobial peptides in its technology.

With approval from the US FDA and the USDA, Innodal’s entry into the US market is imminent as the company secures collaborations on industrial-scale projects with processing companies.

Inneo has been sold commercially in Canada for four years as Innodal’s flagship product.

The processing aid targets bacteria that cause foodborne infection listeriosis, and the company notes that it has “proven significantly more effective” than conventional chemical treatments in industry trials, especially against strains that have resulted in major food recalls across North America.

Clean label solution

Laurent Dallaire, CEO and co-founder at Innodal, says the GRAS certification will enable innovation in food safety.

“This official recognition now allows American food processors to use Inneo in full compliance with FDA regulations, opening new possibilities. We are convinced that this new step will contribute to improving the quality and safety of food products globally.”

Innodal notes that the processing aid improves the safety of ready-to-eat foods while offering a clean label and natural solution that does not alter the food’s taste, texture or color.

Food processors can integrate the ingredients without updating labels, simplifying operations while reducing waste.

Foodborne illnesses

According to the WHO, foodborne illnesses affect 600 million people and cause 420,000 deaths annually. In 2023, meat contamination led to over 1.4 million pounds of recalled products in the US, reports the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. This has ramped up food safety efforts worldwide.

Listeria monocytogenes, in particular, causes around 1,600 cases of illness and 260 deaths annually in the US. It can survive in icy, refrigerated environments and food processing establishments, posing threats to food safety.

There have been multiple food recalls in North America over Listeria outbreaks. 

Two months ago, an outbreak linked to the meats sold in Boar’s Head, a supplier of delicatessen meats and cheeses, resulted in over 57 hospitalizations and nine deaths across 18 US states since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially reported the infection on July 19.

Roughly two weeks later, the authorities said six more people had died due to the outbreak.

Meanwhile, major F&B players are working to address concerns arising from foodborne illnesses, including Kerry, which recently unveiled a new Food Protection and Preservation Lab in Wisconsin, US.

The lab will test the effectiveness of food safety protocols, develop safer methods and prevent real-world outbreaks of deadly bacteria.