Food & Beverage Asia June/July 2020

INGREDIENTS
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If the scope is broadened to include other
geographic regions as well, the potential is
immense. The waste reduction is realised
through an average seven-day extension
of shelf life, brought forth by the ability of
FreshQ to postpone the growth of yeast
and mould.
A consumer study also showed that
consumer purchase intention was
influenced positively, and favoured the
yoghurt with longer shelf life if consumers
were presented with information about the
food waste reduction potential. As one
of its sustainability goals, Chr. Hansen is
committed to reducing yoghurt waste by
1.2 million tons by 2022, which contributes
positively to the UN’s Sustainable
Development Goal 12.
Better bioprotection for more dairy
products in more regions
Chr. Hansen’s approach to sustainability
is innovation led. Since the company
first launched its FreshQ portfolio, it has
continued to push the limitations of the
technology and make it applicable for more
products in more regions. Improvements
have been made both on the protective
effect against yeast and mould, and the
ability to withstand small breaks in the
cold chain on the, sometimes, long way
from producer to consumer.
As dairy products are one of the biggest contributors to
food waste, Chr. Hansen aims to address this issue with the
introduction of FreshQ to empower dairy producers take control
over yeast and mould risk, and extend shelf life of dairy products
Today’s consumers are increasingly on the lookout to
avoid undesired artificial ingredients on the label.
The development work has focused on
selecting strains that have a minimum
impact on the process and help obtain
the desired flavour. This gives access to
more markets and new discussions with
customers producing yoghurt, mesophilic
applications like sour cream, kefir, white
cheese and many more across the globe.
How do FreshQ food cultures work?
With the increasing use of natural LAB
with better bioprotective effect to help
improve quality and shelf life, there has
been growing interest in understanding
the underlying mechanisms used by
these good bacteria to delay the growth
of spoilage organisms. Until recently,
most scientific activities have focused on
trying to identify antimicrobial compounds
produced by the food cultures, without
being able to identify any compounds
that could explain a considerable part of
the effect.
Chr. Hansen made a breakthrough
discovery in this field. Its scientists are
the first to reveal the mechanism that can
explain the main part of the inhibitory
effect against yeast and mould. It is
all about competitive exclusion, that is
competition for a limited nutrient by
different organisms. Starting in-house,
Chr. Hansen’s scientists showed that the
depletion of the essential trace element
manganese by FreshQ food cultures was
the main mechanism for inhibition of yeast
and mould spoilage in fermented dairy
products.
Manganese is essential to the survival of
all microorganisms. In milk, manganese
is present at very low levels and can
become a food for any contaminants that
are introduced. A manganese transporter
(mntH1), identified by the research team,
represents one of the highest expressed
gene products for FreshQ food cultures in a
fermented dairy product, and facilitates the
uptake of manganese from the food matrix,
preventing the availability of this essential
growth factor for unwanted contaminants.
In collaboration with North Carolina State
University in the US, the mechanism was
proven at the genetic level: Deletion of the
mntH1 gene in the tested Lactobacillus
species resulted in loss of bioactivity,
proving this gene and the depletion
of manganese as the most important
mechanism which can explain the delay in
growth of yeasts and moulds.
This discovery marks an important and
game-changing chapter in Chr. Hansen’s
bioprotection history. FreshQ has for years
helped customers of Chr. Hansen build
their brands, improve quality and reduce
food waste while keeping up with market
trends for real food with less artificial
ingredients. Being able to describe exactly
how this is done on a scientific level further
empowers Chr. Hansen to support its
customers with even better solutions for
more food types in the future.
FreshQ food cultures do more than extending
shelf life and reducing food waste. It helps to
build and protect brands, and gives products
a competitive edge while strengthening the
trust between dairy manufacturers, retailers
and consumers. It also helps to ensure that
when products reach the consumer, the
taste and quality are just as intended, each
and every time. FBA
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2020