VEROL ML-90, the power of monolaurin in the food industry
Lasenor is launching a new product to the market: VEROL ML-90. It is a distilled monoglyceride made from lauric acid known as monolaurin (M).
Its use in the food industry began in the 1960s as a nutritional supplement. Nowadays, monolaurin stands out for its use as an antibacterial, antiviral and antimicrobial against yeasts, fungi and protozoa found in food for human consumption. These contaminants can lead to deterioration and reduction of the shelf life of food or food poisoning. In addition, its use also extends to animal feed, mainly for swine, where lauric acid is used as an alternative to antibiotics to prevent infections caused by gram-negative pathogens.
Its bacteriostatic action acts on the cytoplasmic membrane of microorganisms, breaking down their structure and altering their functioning, creating a new inhibitory system for food pathogens.
Monolaurin can be produced from hydrogenated coconut fat or alternatively from fractionated lauric acid. In the first case, it acquires a slightly yellow color and a very unpleasant odor. However, when produced from lauric acid, the end product is white with a neutral odor.
Applications
VEROL ML-90 can be used in powder premixes that are added together with other functional ingredients to processed meat, fish and dairy products.
The main advantages of using monolaurin are as follows:
- Inhibits or eliminates the growth of microorganisms (bacteriostatic / bactericidal).
- Extends the shelf life of the final product (processed meat or fish).
- It is simply labeled as E-471 (avoiding mentioning the word preservative which can have negative connotations).
Due to its antimicrobial properties, VEROL ML-90 is able to prolong the shelf life of food products. It does so by controlling the growth of microorganisms responsible for spoilage and therefore maintains the organoleptic properties of the food.
Lasenor’s new product is aimed at manufacturers of premixes, spices and stabilizers for the meat industry. By using monolaurin, they can benefit from the following competitive advantages:
- A product free of caking. Due to its nature, this product tends to solidify and in some cases to form compact blocks. These caking problems cause poor handling and delays during the mixing process. A product in loose powder form, which does not require handling prior to use such as VEROL ML-90, makes the mixing preparation process easier.
- The monolaurin produced by Lasenor has a white color and a neutral odor profile. These characteristics are indicative of the purity of the product. Monolaurins with a yellowish color and an unpleasant odor derive mainly from the hydrogenated coconut which gives this typical odor to the powder.
- A product distilled to at least 90% as an alternative to non-pure monolaurin varieties (from hydrogenated and non-distilled coconut) backed by Lasenor’s extensive knowledge and experience in molecular distillation.
