Flavor-Based Natural Chelator from DuPont Nutrition & Health Breaks New Ground

Feb 29 2012 --- Even as the effectiveness of natural food protection solutions has continued to increase in recent years, one key weapon in the arsenal for fighting oxidation in high-lipid foods has been missing in the market – a natural metal chelator.

 

Now DuPont Nutrition & Health (DuPont) introduces Guardian Chelox L, a unique, patent-pending blend of natural plant extracts with antioxidant properties that combines strong metal chelation and free-radical scavenging to create the most effective non-allergenic natural solution available for preserving the freshness of food emulsions.

 

Taking the best in natural antioxidants to a new level of effectiveness, Guardian Chelox L gives the makers of mayonnaise, dressings, margarine and spreads a flavor-based, value-adding, natural alternative to EDTA, which has long been the industry’s traditional, synthetic chelator.

 

The higher fat content in many emulsified foods makes them particularly vulnerable to oxidation, which leads to rancidity.

 

“To achieve the shelf life manufacturers need, you really need both scavenging and metal chelating activity,” said Brett Thompson, regional manager, Antimicrobials and Antioxidants at DuPont Nutrition & Health.

 

“The absence of a natural chelator in the market has frustrated manufacturers who want to make a natural product claim for some time. Now, with Guardian Chelox L, they can remove synthetic preservatives and still get the shelf life they need to be competitive.”

 

Using Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, DuPont has developed highly sensitive methods for detecting the metal chelating and radical scavenging activity of plant extracts. This technology proved invaluable in identifying the synergistic interaction between plant extracts that makes Guardian Chelox L such an effective inhibitor of lipid oxidation. This synergistic primary/secondary antioxidant activity gives processors a viable alternative to using such traditional, synthetic antioxidants as EDTA, BHA and BHT.

 

Shelf life testing on samples of 40 percent fat ranch dressing stored at 77°F (25°C), compared the performance of Guardian Chelox L against that of EDTA and a sample containing no antioxidants.

 

Measuring hexanal (a byproduct of lipid oxidation) content over a 12-month period, test results showed antioxidant protection in the samples containing Guardian Chelox L similar to that seen in the EDTA sample. 

 

While Guardian Chelox L is initially available for use in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the need for a natural, effective solution for inhibiting fat oxidation in foods is a global one, and DuPont intends to make the technology more widely available over the coming months.

 

DuPont Danisco food ingredients now encompass Guardian Chelox L as part of the Care4U range of natural protective solutions, which also includes MicroGARD fermentates, NovaGARD and BioVia antimicrobial blends, Nisaplin and Natamax natural antimicrobials, HOLDBAC and other protective cultures, and other Guardian natural extracts.

 

Care4U natural food protection solutions, reinforced by DuPont Qualicon science-based pathogen detection and microbial monitoring systems, help companies protect their products, productivity and brands.