DEVELOPMENT OF REUTERIN-BASED FOOD PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGY

REUTERIN IS A NATURAL SPBSTANCE PRODUCED FROM GLYCEROL BY LACTOBACILLUS REUTERI -- A BACTERIAL SPECIES RESIDENT IN THESMALL INTESTINES OF HEALTHY HUMANS AND ANIMALS. RERTERIN HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE A POTENT, BROAD-SPECTRUM ANTIBACTERIAL,ANTIMYCOTIC AND ANTIPROTOZOAL AGENT. THE LACTOBACILLUS REUTERI-REUTERIN DISCOVERY IS UNDER INTERNATIONAL PATENT APPLICATION AND RIGHTS TO THIS SYSTEM HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO PROBIOLOGICS INTERNATIONAL, INC. AMONG THE POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF THIS DISCOVERY ARE TWO NOVEL PROCESSES FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FOODS: A MICROBIOLOGICAL PROCESS USING LACTOBACILLUS REUTERI FORMULATIONS AND A CHEMICAL PROCESS INVOLVING DIRECT ADDITION OF REUTERIN OR REUTERIN DERIVATIVES TO FOOD PRODUCTS. PRELIMINARY TESTS INDICATE THAT BOTH PROCESSES CAN BE FOUNDATIONS FOR A NEW TECHNOLOGY TO EXTEND THE SHELF LIFE OF HIGH QUALITY FOODS AND TO REDUCEOR ELIMINATE THE PRESENCE OF PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS IN THESE FOODS. SBIR FUNDING IS BEING SOUGHT TO CONDUCT BASICRESEARCH ON THE QUANTITATIVE PARAMETERS INVOLVED IN THESE NEW PROCESSES INCLUDING THE CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT PRODUCTION AND STABILITY OF REUTERIN AND ITS DERIVATIVES IN MEATS AND DAIRY PRODUCTS. WE BELIEVE THE PROPOSED RESEARCH COULD LEAD TO DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW FOOD PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGY HAVING WORLDWIDE COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS. AS GLOBAL DEMANDS FOR PRODUCTION OF HIGH QUALITY FOODS INCREASES, THE DEMAND THAT THESE FOODSBE WELL PRESERVED WILL ALSO INCREASE. IT WOULD BE COMPLIMENTARY TO EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES, USEABLE IN ALL GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF THE WORLD AND APPLICABLE TO A WIDE- ASSORTMENT OF FOODS INCLUDING HIGHLY NUTRITIOUS BUT VERY PERISHABLE MATERIALS SUCH AS MEATS AND DAIRY PRODUCTS. WE BELIEVE THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY WILL BENEFIT PUBLIC HEALTH FROM A NUTRITIONAL PERSPECTIVE AND BY REDUCING NUMBERS OF POTENTIAL PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS FOUND IN CERTAIN FOODS. THE NATIONAL ECONOMY WOULD CLEARLY BENEFIT FROM THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF THIS TECHNOLOGY.