With the consumer trend toward natural products still going strong, food manufacturers have focused their efforts on searching for ingredient names that are known and trusted by consumers. ε-Polylysine has been accepted as a food antimicrobial of natural origin. This product is derived naturally from fermentation and it is acknowledged as label-friendly.

ε- Polylysine (ε- Poly-L-lysine, ε- PL for short) is a homopolymer that consists of 25-35 L-lysine residues. It’s produced by a fermentation process using Streptomyces albulus under aerobic conditions. It can effectively inhibit the growth of Gram- positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, moulds, viruses etc, has been widely used in food, cosmetics, liquid fertilizer, pharmaceutical and other industries.

The control of Total Plate Count (TPC) is major challenge to global food manufacturers. Polylysine has been accepted as a food antimicrobial of natural origin and it is acknowledged as label-friendly. Polylysine shows high antimicrobial activity against fungi, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. It exhibits good water solubility and heat stability, and does not have an unpleasant odor. However, impure Polylysine contains more or less chloride and inorganic contents, increasing the risk of endotoxin and possible interaction with other ingredients.