Onions Offer Natural Preservative Alternative

BARCELONAIn addition to having beneficial properties for health, increase the life of foods, flavonoids of onion are a natural alternative to artificial additives used in the food industry, according to  new research published in the International Journal of Food Science and Technology.

"The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the flavonoids of the raw onion make it a good candidate for use in food preservation", wrote the researchers.

The findings revealed that, especially the yellow variety, is a good source of these types of substances, and there is a positive correlation between the presence of flavonoids and their antioxidant capacity.

"The onion can be effective for delaying lipid oxidation in emulsions of oil and watera model system of foods like margarines and mayonnaisesand it also inhibits the growth of microorganisms that alter foods", the researchers wrote.

The researchers analyzed onions of the White varieties "Fuentes de Ebro" and "Calçot de Valls" and the yellow variety "Grano de Oro" and demonstrated that phenolic compounds in the onion prevent the development of bacteria such as Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus and Listeria monocytogenes, microorganisms typically associated with the deterioration of foods.