Scientists belive popular Vietnam pork Snack can kill bacteria’s

[ASEAN NOW News]

Surprise surprise a popular Vietnamese raw pork snack apparently contains a natural bacteria, and according to Scientists it can kill other bacteria, which could help reduce global food waste and protect lives.

 

 Nem Chua

 

The fermented pork snack, Nem Chua, although eaten raw but does not cause food poisoning when prepared correctly.

It is because friendly bacteria that thrives in the fermented meat, makes a special compound that destroys more dangerous bacteria.

 

Bacteriocins form holes in the membranes of target bacteria

 

During a trip to Vietnam, researchers from RMIT Melbourne, started to grow curious when they heard that some locals could eat nem chua, a raw pork item, without getting sick. And this was also despite eating it in hot, humid conditions.

 

They were naturally curious, so when they started to study similar food, the Australian scientists discovered it contained Lactiplantibacillus plantarum B21AG, a lactic acid bacterium that can produce bacteriocins, a class of compound synthesized by bacteria that can kill other bacteria.

 

The scientists subsequently sequenced the genome of the bacteriocin-producing bacterium and published it. 

 

The newly discovered bateriocin is called plantacyclin B21AG, and if used as a food preservative, it could have profound effects on limiting global food waste, as food could be kept longer and in less-stable conditions. 

 

Food Waste Can Cost Millions

 

Food waste costs industrialized economies US$680 billion per year, while consuming a quarter of agricultural water and producing 8% of global greenhouse emissions.

 

Meanwhile, food-borne diseases such as listeria and salmonella infections put millions of lives at risk.

Nem chua is a traditional snack made from pulverized raw pork that is fermented. The pork paste is mixed with spices, including thính, a powder made of roasted rice; and then wrapped in fruit leaves before being tightly covered in banana leaves.

 

Bacteriocins are nothing new to scientists. Professor Oliver Jones, Associate Dean of Biosciences and Food Technology at RMIT, explains: “Scientists have known about these bacteria-killing compounds for many years, but the challenge is to produce them in large enough quantities to be used by the food industry."

 

Until now, the bacteriocins that have been discovered are fragile and can often only combat one or two types of harmful bacteria.

 

Plantacyclin B21AG, by contrast, can withstand all extremes found in food processing environments. It can survive both high and low pH levels and even be heated to 90°C for 20 minutes. Moreover, they can kill a wide range of harmful bacteria.

 

More study is needed to determine if the compound could be used as a natural preservative to prevent food spoilage and illness.

 

"Through this new research, we have identified the right growth conditions that would enable us to make it in substantial amounts, potentially at industrial scales. With further development, we hope this could be an effective, safe, and all-natural solution for both food waste and food-borne disease," says Jones from RMIT Melbourne.