Certain garlic-derived compounds have been shown to significantly reduce the contamination risk of foodborne pathogen Cronobacter sakazakii in production of dry infant formula powder, according to a new study published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia used high-throughput RNA sequencing and confocal-microscopic lasers to systematically determine the antimicrobial mechanism of garlic compounds on the pathogen. C. sakazakii is sometimes present in dry infant formula powder and other fortified foods. While rare, C. sakazakii can poison a baby’s bloodstream and lead to meningitis, often fatal for infants.
Researchers identified two compounds derived from garlic—diallyl sulfide and ajoene—that significantly reduce the contamination risk of C. sakazakii in the production of infant formula.
“A trace dose of these two compounds is extremely effective in killing C. sakazakii in the food manufacturing process," said Xiaonan Lu, corresponding author and assistant professor of food safety engineering in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Colombia. “They have the potential to eliminate the pathogen before it ever reaches the consumer."
According to Lu, the garlic compounds could be used to prevent C. sakazakii contamination on food contact surfaces and in every step of food production—processing, packaging and delivery.
“Pipes used in the manufacturing of milk products are typically cleaned with chemicals like chlorine, but these garlic compounds are a natural alternative," Lu said. “We believe these compounds are more beneficial in protecting babies against this pathogen."
