Current trends in natural preservatives for fresh sausage products

• Preservatives ensure food quality and safety.
• Consumers alert about chemical preservatives.
• Merit of various natural preservatives in fresh sausages was discussed.
• Bacteriocins, organic acids, plant derivatives and chitosan currently in use.

Natural preservatives from bacteria, plants and animals currently in use in fresh sausage manufacture were investigated. Bacteriocins and organic acids from bacterial origins showed good antimicrobial activities against pathogens. Plant-derived antimicrobials could increase the shelf-life of fresh sausages and in some cases also decrease lipid oxidation and decrease colour loss. Chitosan was the only animal-derived antimicrobial investigated and also increased shelf life of fresh sausages. It was evident that the natural antimicrobials would perform even better in combination with other natural antimicrobials, or lowered levels of synthetic antimicrobials or other hurdles such as specific packaging material.