Natamycin

Usage In foods Natamycin has been used for decades in the food industry as a hurdle to fungal outgrowth in dairy products, meats, and other foods.

Potential advantages for the usage of natamycin might include the replacement of traditional chemical preservatives, a neutral flavor impact, and less dependence on pH for efficacy, as is common with chemical preservatives.

It can be applied in a variety of ways: as an aqueous suspension (such as mixed into a brine) that is sprayed on the product or that the product is dipped into, or in powdered form (along with an anticaking agent such as cellulose) sprinkled on or mixed into the product.

While not currently approved for use on meats in the United States, some countries allow natamycin to be applied to the surface of dry and fermented sausages to prevent mold growth on the casing. Also, natamycin is approved for various dairy applications in the United States.

More specifically, natamycin is commonly used in products such as cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, shredded cheeses, cheese slices and packaged salad mixes. One of the reasons for food producers to use natamycin is to replace the artificial preservative sorbic acid.