Which food products can Provian be used for? 

The Provian portfolio is perfect for all processed food products across a broad spectrum of applications. The two main effects of Provian ingredients is to keep food safe – by preventing the growth of harmful pathogens – and to extend shelf-life – by inhibiting the growth of lactic acid bacteria. As such, Provian can be incorporated into any processed food product with excellent results. Below is an example list of foods that Provian can be used to protect:

  • Meat

  • Fish

  • Poultry

  • RTE meals

  • Meat alternatives

  • Snacks

  • Sauces, dips and spreads

Which Provian preservative is right for my product?

All Provian preservatives can be used for any processed food product, our research and development team has created a wide-ranging portfolio of preservatives to cater to specific needs and uses. For example, due to their high efficacy and low dosage requirements, all Provian preservatives can reduce the amount of sodium in a product. However, Niacet have also specifically formulated Provian K, which is a potassium acetate-based preservative, which contains no sodium at all. The Provian range also includes the clean label ingredients, Provian NDV and Provian NDVs, which be labelled as neutralized vinegar, dry vinegar or simply, vinegar. 

No matter what your product is, there is a Provian preservative that will be right for it – extending shelf-life, preventing the growth of pathogens and keeping food safe. 

The Science Behind Provian

How does Provian work?

Provian preservatives are essentially highly soluble organic acids, which are absorbed into the moisture in all food products, where bacteria and pathogens grow. The effect of organic acids on bacteria is based on the amount of undissociated acid present in the direct environment, which crosses the bacterial membrane to cause pH disorder, in turn causing energy depletion and therefore inhibiting growth.

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What makes Provian so effective?

The efficacy of an organic salt can be explained by the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation. This equation explains the relation of the amount of undissociated acids, the pH value and pKa value. Organic acids with a higher pKa value will have a greater amount of undissociated acid available within a neutral pH zone. Acetic acid has a higher pKa value than lactic acid meaning it is better at inhibiting bacterial growth and therefore more effective as a food safety ingredient1.

1 – Inhibitory Effect of a Sodium Free Preservative on the Growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Lactic Acid Bacteria in Poultry Applications – M. Golden, E. Heintz, H.J.van Lent, L. Vega, R. Weyker, and K. Glass

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How does Provian extend shelf-life?

Organic acid-based preservatives also extend the shelf-life of food products by inhibiting the growth of non-pathogenic microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB). LAB naturally hinder the growth of pathogens, but also cause spoilage in meat by causing slime, acidification and undesired flavours. There are multiple strains of LAB, each with different resistances to certain organic acids, which is why Provian products contain different levels of various organic-acid based salts, such as acetates, diacetates and propionates. These unique combinations mean that there is a perfect Provian preservative for any processed food product2,3.

2 – Safety control in low sodium cold smoked salmon – E. Heintz, L. Vega, H.J. van Lent, P. Dalgaard
3 – Listeria and Spoilage Inhibition Using Neutralized and Sodium Free Vinegar Powder – E. Heintz, L. Vega, H.J. van Lent, K. Glass, J. Lim

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Predictor Tools

FSSP

The Food Safety and Spoilage Predictor (FSSP) uses mathematical models to predict growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in food. The FSSP is a thoroughly validated predictive model and therefore accepted by food authorities. This implies that in some cases challenge studies are unnecessary to prove pathogenic control, thus making it easier to incorporate Provian preservatives into food products.

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Water Activity Tool

Water activity (Aw) is one of the conditions that influence microbial growth and creating sub-optimal Aw creates a hurdle for microbial growth, as happens with temperature and pH changes and the presence of preservatives. By adding effective preservatives, like Provian, manufacturers can successfully lower the water activity of their food products, thus helping to extend shelf-life while keeping food safe from harmful bacteria. The water activity tool is used to predict the influence of Provian preservatives on the water activity and sodium content of your product.

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