US 12329171 B1Patent grantUnited States

Encapsulated Natural Food Preservative

Official patent title

Natural food preservative

Arabic title: مادة حافظة طبيعية للأغذية

Invention

Problem

Synthetic food preservatives may raise consumer-acceptance and health concerns, while natural extracts can suffer from poor solubility, undesirable sensory effects, and instability during food processing. A protected natural formulation is needed to retain antimicrobial and antioxidant activity.

Why it matters

Extending food shelf life with plant-derived ingredients could reduce spoilage while creating higher-value uses for pomegranate and onion peels. Encapsulation may also help protect bioactive compounds during handling and incorporation into food products.

Approach

The preservative places pomegranate-peel and/or onion-peel extract in an inner core and encapsulates it with chia-seed nanoparticles. A nonionic surfactant supports mixing, and the reaction mixture is dried to form a nanoparticulate powder.

Who may benefit

Potential beneficiaries include food and beverage manufacturers, natural-ingredient suppliers, food-packaging developers, agricultural-waste valorization programs, and laboratories studying antimicrobial preservation.

Potential value

The formulation combines two food-processing by-product extracts with nanoscale encapsulation and reports both antioxidant characterization and antimicrobial activity, including claimed inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus at defined concentration and particle-size ranges.

Background

Preservatives are added to foods to limit microbial deterioration and oxidation, but synthetic additives can face safety and consumer-acceptance concerns. Plant extracts and other natural agents provide alternatives, although poor solubility, sensory impact, and processing instability can restrict their use. Pomegranate and onion peels contain phenolic compounds and are available as food-processing residues. The disclosure seeks to protect these extracts within a chia-derived nanoscale coating so their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties can be incorporated into a dry preservative formulation.

Technology overview

Pomegranate or onion peels are washed, dried at 20–60 °C, ground, and extracted with a polar protic solvent, preferably ethanol. The extract is combined with a nonionic surfactant such as polysorbate 80, mixed with ground chia seeds, and dried. Claimed particles are no larger than 100 nm and may contain pores no larger than 35 nm. The preservative has a claimed Staphylococcus aureus inhibition rate of at least 70% and an IC50 of 3.00 mg/mL or less.

Potential applications

Natural antimicrobial and antioxidant preservation of food products.
Food-coating and packaging-formulation research.
Laboratory inhibition studies for foodborne bacteria and fungi.
Valorization of pomegranate and onion processing residues.
Biofilm-control research on food-contact and water-system surfaces.

Evidence-supported advantages

Uses plant-derived peel extracts and chia-based encapsulation.
Converts agricultural processing residues into a functional formulation.
Combines reported antioxidant and antimicrobial characteristics.
Produces a dry nanoparticulate powder with defined size and porosity.
Reports at least 70% inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus in the claimed embodiment.

Development stage

Extract preparation, nanoparticle fabrication, chemical characterization, and laboratory antimicrobial and antioxidant assays are described; food-product shelf-life, sensory, toxicology, and regulatory performance were not established. The development stage was not independently verified.

Commercial opportunity

The formulation may interest natural-preservative, food-ingredient, and packaging companies. Commercial use requires food-matrix challenge tests, sensory and shelf-life studies, dose optimization, ingredient and allergen safety, solvent-residue control, manufacturing consistency, and jurisdiction-specific regulatory approval before addition to consumer foods at commercial scale.

Patent classifications

WIPO IPC

A23B2/733Preservation of foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages; chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
A61L2/16Sterilising materials or objects; disinfecting, sterilising or deodorising air; chemical aspects and materials of bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles

CPC

A23B2/733Preservation of foods, foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages; chemical ripening of fruit or vegetables
A61L2/16Sterilising materials or objects; disinfecting, sterilising or deodorising air; chemical aspects and materials of bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles
A61L2/232Sterilising materials or objects; disinfecting, sterilising or deodorising air; chemical aspects and materials of bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles
C02F1/50Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
A61L2101/32Sterilising materials or objects; disinfecting, sterilising or deodorising air; chemical aspects and materials of bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles
A61L2103/05Sterilising materials or objects; disinfecting, sterilising or deodorising air; chemical aspects and materials of bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles
A61L2103/15Sterilising materials or objects; disinfecting, sterilising or deodorising air; chemical aspects and materials of bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles
C02F2303/04Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge

Inventors

First inventorAhmed Aly Ahmed Allam
InventorHassan Ahmed Rudayni
InventorRehab Khaled Mahmoud
InventorNabil Sayed Hafez
InventorNaif Ghazi Altoom
InventorKhalil Ibrahim Khalil
InventorSamah Ahmed Abd-El Twab Awad
InventorAmany Ahmed Abd-El Halim Mohamed

Keywords

natural preservative
pomegranate peel
onion peel
chia nanoparticles
nanoencapsulation
antimicrobial
antioxidant
food shelf life

Patent document and drawings

The patent publication is mapped to this record. Patent drawings remain within that publication; no separately cleared public media package has been supplied.