New germ-fighter to the rescue

New germ-fighter to the rescue

It won’t be long before food can be treated with a new made-in-Alberta antibody cocktail that targets some of the most common (and nastiest!) food-borne germs.

Developed at the University of Alberta, the product nicknamed ‘Spice of Life’ won’t change the way food tastes nor will it kill germs.  What it will do is prevent those food-borne germs from infecting your body.  For anyone who’s suffered a bout of food poisoning, this is an invention worth watching. Germs like E.coli, Listeria, Campylobacter and Salmonella can wreak havoc on the body—they’ve even been known to cause death.

After two years of research, seven papers and two patents, the product is ready for field testing.  Once it is market ready, it will be used in meat, produce and perishable foods like barbecue sauce, mayonnaise and salad dressings during processing and packaging.  Eventually, there will be a granular form that consumers can use at home.

“We think Spice of Life will really help to manage the nasty impact of food-borne illness,” says Hoon Sunwoo, Ph.D., lead researcher and food chemist at the University of Alberta. “But, prevention is really the key to food safety.  Most food-borne germs can be eliminated by simply using food-safe preparation and storage methods at home.”

FOR FOOD SAFE HANDLING TIPS, CHECK OUT THE FOOD SAFETY INFO-LINE AT: