Natural phage solution more effective at reducing salmonella than chemical treatments, says new Micreos study

According to the Netherlands-based company, the findings will be of particular interest to meat and poultry processors looking to minimize the use of chemicals in their production processes and protect worker safety.

Carried out by Assistant Professor Amilton de Mello and his team of researchers at the University of Nevada, the study concluded that traditional chemical treatments like LA and PAA cut Salmonella levels by under 60 percent.

But PhageGuard S, a natural phage solution, significantly reduces bacterial levels, killing up to 94 percent of salmonella in the samples tested.

These results challenge the perceived effectiveness of traditional chemical interventions for foodborne pathogen control and highlight phages as a superior and more successful alternative for enhanced consumer safety.

PhageGuard S, specifically developed to eliminate salmonella in meat and poultry products, is USDA and FDA-approved and 100 percent organic, addressing increasing consumer demands for more natural food processing aids and industry transparency.

Unlike traditional chemical treatments,  Micreos say that PhageGuard S kills salmonella without affecting organoleptic properties such as taste, odor or texture in food products.

“Salmonella remains a public health concern, with 1.2 million cases recorded every year in the US alone,” says Bert de Vegt, Managing Director at Micreos Food Safety.

“Although lactic acid and peracetic acid are widely deployed throughout the industry, consumer demand and health and safety concerns call for different solutions. This report echoes the results we have observed in numerous commercial trials in poultry, fish and red meats and makes a convincing case for switching to phage.”

Micreos develops endolysin- and phage technology that enables targeted killing of unwanted bacteria. The company runs its production and R&D center for endolysins in Bilthoven and phages in Wageningen 'Food Valley', while it’s head office is located in The Hague.