New Natural Preservative Makes Fresh Food Last Years

Flickr user angela larose

​So researchers at the University of Minnesota have discovered a substance that a particular bacteria creates can be used to treat food so it could sit on shelves for upwards of three years.

Called bisin, it's made by Bifodobacterium longum, a harmless bacteria in your gut right now. And when bisin is added to food such as milk and sandwiches, it attacks "gram-negative bacteria" such as E.coli, salmonella and listeria.

This allows such foods to last much longer on the shelf, even unrefrigerated. These scientists are so confident the product will revolutionize the industry they've patented. But despite it being a "natural" substance that doesn't "compromise nutrient quality," it won't stop vegetables or fruit from rotting. That kind of decomposition can't be helped by bisin. So in the foreseeable future, there won't be any undead or immortal celery or bananas . . . just 3-year-old milk that won't make you vomit or die.

Follow Stick a Fork In It on Twitter @ocweeklyfood or on Facebook!