Kerry successfully defends plant-based curing agent patent for meat shelf life

Kerry has successfully defended the patent for its natural curing agent Accel, which delivers natural color, flavor, and texture in meat products while supporting freshness and shelf life. After a successful appeal, the US Federal Court confirmed Kerry’s plant-based curing patent, granted in 2021, remains “wholly valid and enforceable.”

The ruling secures Kerry’s exclusivity for the innovation under US law and protects both the product and process behind Accel.

“The patent covers how the natural cure is produced as well as how it is used. [It is] a transparent way to demonstrate that the product is authentic and from a natural source,” Renetta Cooper, business development director at Kerry, tells Food Ingredients First.

Replacing synthetic additives

Meat curing agents are substances added to meat to preserve it, enhance flavor, and give it color. Salt, sodium nitrites, and sodium nitrates are the most common curing agents the meat industry uses.

However, concerns over nitrites’ health risks have tightened regulatory scrutiny of the ingredient. The US Code of Federal Regulations has capped sodium nitrite use at 200 parts per million (ppm) in finished meat products, while the limit for sodium nitrates is 500 ppm.

The patent is a transparent way to show that the product is authentic and from a natural source, says Cooper.“Accel replaces synthetic sodium nitrite in meat products such as ham, hot dogs, bacon, and meat snacks, providing the same color, flavor, and texture,” Cooper notes.

The curing agent functions in a “nearly identical fashion” as synthetic sodium nitrite, driving the reaction that results in the traditional pink color and cured flavor of cured meats, she adds.

Supporting natural claims

With clean label and naturality claims growing, Kerry’s Accel portfolio supports cured meat products with natural claims, such as ham, sausages, hot dogs, and bacon, says Cooper.

“One out of every two consumers is conscious of and looking to limit consumption of artificial preservatives and continues to look for clean label recognizable ingredients in the foods they purchase.”

The Accel line of natural cure products provides a range of concentrations that support ease of use and reduced sodium options. “We include Accel natural cure in our proprietary modeling, supporting a better understanding of its impact on Listeria control.”

The ingredient supports the clean label movement in the meat industry and pairs well with Kerry’s clean label antimicrobials and cure accelerators.

“[Accel] provides a full suite of natural ingredients needed to make a natural claim using simple, recognizable ingredients,” says Copper. 

“Kerry’s IsoAge, Nourishield, or FoodGard product lines act as natural antimicrobials or antioxidants; protecting against pathogens, spoilage organisms and aiding in cure color development. This results in a cured product that looks and tastes better for longer.”

Accel replaces synthetic nitrites in meat products like hot dogs to deliver the same color, flavor, and texture.

Expanding shelf life

With an increased push in the meat industry to explore nitrite-free solutions for cured meat, Kerry is focusing on natural ingredients to expand its ingredient portfolio that inhibits pathogens and helps to limit oxidation.

“Kerry is accelerating its innovation plans for the meat industry with a clear focus on expanding its portfolio with enhanced efficacy against spoilage organisms as well as pathogens of concern.”

The company is also leveraging shelf life and challenge studies and proprietary microbial modeling to support these efforts, she concludes.

Last year, Kerry opened a new Food Protection and Preservation Lab in Wisconsin, US, to safely handle food safety microorganisms and test food preservation ingredients to extend the shelf life of food products.