Soy can prevent microbial pathogens contamination on food, says a new study. According to Professor Suresh Neethirajan, soy or soya bean is proven to be a better and safer natural anti-microbial agent than the current roster of synthetic chemicals.
The food industry should be using soy or soya beans to stop the growth of microbial pathogens on food, according to Suresh Neethirajan. Professor Neethirajan, who is the director of the BioNano Laboratory from the University of Guelph, a comprehensive public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, published his findings in the journal Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports.
Mr. Neethirajan discovered that isoflavones, (which are polyphenolic compounds that are capable of exerting estrogen-like effects), and peptides from soybeans have the capacity to reduce or even eliminate microbes found in food in a safer way.
Neethirajan also learned that soy isoflavones and peptides are more effective than chemicals currently used to try to prevent microbial contamination. This study is a breakthrough for the more than 48 million people in the US, who suffer from some food-borne illness every year.
The East Asian legume is already commonly used to make, tofu, fermented bean paste, cooking oils, cheeses, ice cream, margarine, food spreads, canned foods, and baked goods. Neethirajan is hoping that the food industry will move to the soy derivatives because not only would it combat bacteria, it could reduce “long-term illnesses resulting from the use of synthetic chemicals.” Neethirajan stated:
“Heavy use of chemical antimicrobial agents has caused some strains of bacteria to become very resistant to them, rendering them ineffective for the most part.”
He added:
“Soy peptides and isoflavones are biodegradable, environmentally friendly and non-toxic. The demand for new ways to combat microbes is huge, and our study suggests soy-based isoflavones and peptides could be part of the solution.”
Neethirajan and his team said in his study that soy peptides and isoflavones limited growth of some bacteria, including Listeria and Pseudomonas pathogens. They explained:
“The really exciting thing about this study is that it shows promise in overcoming the issue of current antibiotics killing bacteria indiscriminately, whether they are pathogenic or beneficial. You need beneficial bacteria in your intestines to be able to properly process food.”
Neethirajan stated that he and his researchers used microfluidics and high-throughput screening to run millions of tests in a short period, the next step is to conduct large-scale trials.
