Impact of Product Reformulation on Microbiological Stability

There are many pressures on food manufacturers to develop new foods or alter the formulation of existing foods so that they are 'healthier'. These include removing artificial preservatives such as sorbate and benzoate, and reducing sugar and salt. Many of the ingredients that are under consideration for reduction/removal may have organoleptic and structural influences on foods; however, they also have an impact on shelf life, many being fundamental preservatives that are used to make many types of food stable. Whilst it may be possible to replace them with alternatives that can maintain the organoleptic and structural properties, these may not have equivalent preservative properties. In this project, the implications of reducing the level of sugar in foods on their microbiological stability will be investigated, with the focus on fruit based foods and drinks.