Meat&Poultry -- June 2014 - 63

INGREDIENT ESSENTIALS * ADVERTORIAL

Study Shows Propionic Acid Is Preferred Ingredient to Control
Listeria in Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Products
Preservatives are necessary to keep readyto-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products safe
from foodborne pathogens. With a number
of preservatives available, manufacturers
must consider effectiveness, usage levels
and consumer preference.
Kemin, Des Moines, Iowa, manufacturers
of BactoCEASE™ liquid buffered propionic
acid, commissioned Harris Poll to help the
industry better understand the attitude
of primary grocery shoppers in regards to
ingredients found on meat labels. In particular, Kemin wanted to understand how certain preservatives found in processed meats
may influence purchase.
The online survey of 1,004 adults who are
the primary grocery shopper in their household and purchase meat and meat products
was conducted in April 2014. The specific
preservatives identified in the survey were:
"potassium lactate, sodium diacetate;"
"propionic acid;""sodium lactate, sodium
diacetate;""sodium propionate" and "sodium
propionate, propionic acid." One of the most
notable findings was a general indifference
to the inclusion of any of these preservatives
in RTE meat and poultry.
Even though 86% of consumers said they
at least sometimes check the label before
purchasing meat, the reasons for checking
the label were health related rather than to

Which turkey breast would you purchase?
In a side-by-side comparison of ingredient labels for deli-style turkey breast, consumers preferred a shorter list featuring "propionic acid" versus the longer list with
"sodium lactate, sodium diacetate" as the active ingredient for controlling listeria.

43

57

%

%

Choose:

Choose:

Turkey breast,
Water, Turkey flavor
(salt, maltodextrin,
natural flavoring),
Modified corn starch, Dextrose,
Carageenan, Sodium phosphate,
Propionic acid, Sodium nitrite

Turkey breast, Water,
Turkey flavor (salt,
maltodextrin, natural
flavoring), Modified corn
starch, Dextrose, Carageenan,
Sodium phosphate, Sodium lactate,
Sodium diacetate, Sodium nitrite

Source: Kemin Shopper Evaluation, Harris Poll, April 2014

41% of respondents reported they would not
want any included in processed meat, while
33% had no preference. For each preservative
rated, at least 40% reported "Do not mind if
processed meat contains this ingredient."
The respondents did, however, identify
words they prefer to avoid, in other words, ingredients or trigger words that are part of an
ingredient that might discourage purchase.
Sodium was the most common unappealing word, followed by preservative and
nitrite/nitrate. (See chart.)
Consumers avoid the word sodium 50%
Avoidance of sodiummore than they avoid the word acid.
containing ingredients was
more than double that of
food-grade acids.
Responses to additional
%
questions in the survey sugSodium
gest length of ingredient
%
Preservative
statement may be important, too. In a side-by-side
%
Nitrite/nitrate
comparison of ingredient
legends for deli-style turkey
%
Phosphate
breast, consumers preferred
%
Benzoate
a shorter list featuring "propionic acid" versus the longer
%
Acid
list with "sodium lactate, sodium diacetate" as the active
%
Other
ingredient for controlling
%
Listeria. (See infographic.)
None of the above
BactoCEASE™ appears on
ingredient statements as
propionic acid or

scrutinize the ingredient statement. In fact,
the number-one reason for checking the
label was for weight loss and weight maintenance reasons. Other motivators were
cholesterol concerns, hypertension/heart
disease, diabetes/blood sugar and allergies.
Ingredients such as fat, sodium and sugar
are related to these health concerns.
Of the preservatives listed in the survey,

Consumers' Label-Reading Habits
Consumers read the ingredient label
before purchasing meat.
(One out of three people always check the
label before purchasing meat)

14

%

34

Never

%

Always

52

%

Sometimes

Source: Kemin Shopper Evaluation, Harris Poll, April 2014

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16
16
14

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