New research out of the University of Maine finds cranberries may offer a unique line of defense against bacteria in beef patties, reducing the growth of Salmonella, E. coli and other types of food related bacteria."While last year our research proved that cranberry's antimicrobial effect offers a unique line of defense against food poisoning, this year we also focused on taste and found that it wasn't sacrificed. This is great news for consumers who are seeking natural alternatives to chemical additives in food. We have learned cranberries are a nutritional powerhouse offering many health benefits, that are a great tool for food safety," said Dr. Vivian Chi Hua Wu. [Keep in mind this study was funded by the Cranberry Industry (Ocean Spray), but still interesting ]

Building on previous research, Dr. Wu - lead researcher at the University of Maine has proved that cranberries not only protect against harmful bacteria in hamburgers, but also that people don't notice a change in taste when cranberry was added to the meat. In a study presented last year at the IFT, researchers added cranberry concentrate to samples of raw ground beef tainted with several types of bacteria that frequently cause food related illness. After observing the ground beef over several days, scientists discovered that the cranberry concentrate significantly reduced the growth of Salmonella, E. coli and other dangerous bacteria in the beef. In a new study, Dr. Wu and her colleagues reproduced these results with a strain of pathogenic E. coli and, further, tested the effect of different amounts of cranberry on the taste of burgers.

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