The Preserve concept includes a coating with anti-fungal properties that degrades the outgrowth of fungal in dairy and meat products. It is developed to work in even the toughest production conditions where fungal is a problem. The casing has a coating that protects the sausage from mould infestation, a common problem among dry sausage production facilities. Even though it cannot be guaranteed to prevent all mould growth, due to the large variety of existing moulds, all tests have shown that the Preserve casing exhibits less mould growth than all similar untreated casing products tested.
The active component that is applied through a coating procedure to the surface of the casings is Natamycin. Natamycin is also known as Pimaricin and is sometimes sold as Natacyn. It is a naturally occurring antifungal agent produced during fermentation by the bacterium Streptomyces natalensis, which is commonly found in soil. Natamycin has been used for decades in the food industry as a means to combat fungal outgrowth in meat and dairy products and is approved by the safety authorities.
There are many ways of dealing with fungal problems, but manyof the solutions also have downsides. The ViskoTeepak solution is outstanding in neutral flavour impact, it is colourless and it is less dependent on pH for efficiency. It is also a listed and approved E-number (E235) for the preservation of cheese and dried sausage products.