Preventing
foodborne illness naturally: with cinnamon
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| The cinnamon challenge - eating a spoonful of cinnamon - BAD IDEA! |
Seeking ways to
prevent some of the most serious foodborne illnesses caused by pathogenic
bacteria, two Washington State University scientists have found promise in an
ancient but common cooking spice: cinnamon.
Recent findings
published in Food Control journal online suggest Cinnamomum
cassia oil can work effectively as a natural antibacterial agent in
the food industry. The study results add to a body of knowledge that will help
improve food safety and reduce or eliminate cases of food poisoning and related
deaths.
The cinnamon cassia
oil is effective in low concentrations, she said -- about 10 drops diluted in a
liter of water killed the bacteria within 24 hours.
Demand for natural
food additives
Rising health concerns
about chemical additives have strengthened demand for natural food additives,
said co-author Meijun Zhu, an assistant professor in the School of Food
Science.
"Our focus is on
exploring plant-derived natural food bioactive compounds as antimicrobials to
control foodborne pathogens, in order to ensure safety of fresh produce,"
she said.
Sheng said about
110,000 cases of illness are caused annually by non-O157 STEC.
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service has a "zero tolerance"
policy for the CDC top six non-O157 STECs in raw ground beef and trimmings,
indicating any raw non-intact beef products containing these pathogens will be
considered adulterated. This has led Zhu and Sheng to include the beef industry
in the large-scale application of their findings on cinnamon.
"The oil can be
incorporated into films and coatings for packaging both meat and fresh
produce," Sheng said. "It can also be added into the washing step of
meat, fruits or vegetables to eliminate microorganisms."
Cassia cinnamon is
produced primarily in Indonesia and has a stronger smell than the other common
cinnamon variety, Ceylon.
In addition to Cinnamomum
cassia oil, Sheng plans to take a look at another natural source to
kill bacteria. She and her coworkers will study the potential of dandelions to
inhibit bacteria related to bovine mastitis, an infection in the mammary glands
of dairy cows.
Story Source:
The above story is
based on materials provided by Washington State University. The original article was
written by Rachel Webber. Note: Materials may be edited for content and
length.
Journal Reference:
1.
Lina Sheng, Mei-Jun
Zhu. Inhibitory effect of Cinnamomum cassia oil on non-O157 Shiga
toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Food Control, 2014; 46: 374
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.05.050
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Washington State
University. "Preventing foodborne illness naturally: with cinnamon." Science
Daily, 17 July 2014.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140717095118.htm>.