Study Finds Onion Extracts Act as Food Preservatives

Onion extracts with anti-microbial and antioxidant compounds may inhibit the growth of food-spoiling bacteria, a Spanish study finds.

Barcelona-based researchers said the antioxidant-rich extracts are found to reduce the growth of a range of bacteria including Listeria.

The findings, published in the International Journal of Food Science and Technology, said the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the flavonoids of the raw onion help in food preservation.

The onion can be used for delaying lipid oxidation in emulsions of oil and water; a model system of foods like margarines and mayonnaises, and it inhibits the growth of microorganisms that alter foods, the report said.

Further studies and industrial production could help the extracts which can be widely used as synthetic preservatives such as butylhydroxyanisole and butylhydroxytoluene.