Jan 9, 01:55 AM
Herbal-Active® a natural antimicrobial
I’d like to summarize some resource material I have on-line for my natural antimicrobials, Herbal-Active™ and HerBev™ and delineate their different applications.
Click here to download a paper on Herbal-Active™ and HerBev™ – Natural antimicrobials for foods, beverages and cosmetics. (Right click and Save Link as or Save Target as…)
HerBev™ is the simplest to use for low pH, low particulates, pasteurized beverages which are hot filled. Any other beverage formulations are best with Herbal-Active™.
Herbal-Active™ is formulated for a wider variety of uses, from use as a dipping solution to inclusion as an ingredient, for example:
- rubbed into a seasoning as an anti-microbial flavouring;
- included in fruit preparations (juices, purees, concentrates, extracts etc);
- added to sauces, syrups, dressings, dairy foods or any liquid condiment or seasoning
- diluted to 1% in water as a dipping solution for meats, seafood, vegetable produce, herbs, salad greens, sprouts or any foods exposed to microbial contamination
Refer to the downloadable paper for more specifics.
Click here for the Herbal-Active™ presentation.
Click here to order Herbal-Active® now.
Just to reiterate on the benefits of these natural preservatives, they are broad spectrum antimicrobials, extremely effective against E. coli, Salmonella and other food pathogens as well as yeasts and moulds.
At appropriate pH levels, both are strongly anti-mould and flavorless at their respective working concentrations.
Lastly, cosmetic manufacturers are a growing group of users for Herbal-Active™ and to address their particular issues a separate document has been prepared for this use.
Please leave a comment below or email functionals at cherikoff.net, briefly describe your application, provide a mailing address and we are happy to provide a sample for your evaluation. Please ask to be listed for an occasional email update on this important and exciting development for the food, beverage and cosmetic industries or use the RSS feed to get our news updates.
Cherikoff Bioactives is also looking for distributors which currently service the manufacturing sectors to assist in promoting these natural preservatives as the demand has been significant.
After all, there are few alternatives with some manufacturers turning to highly toxic nerve gas to kill micro-organisms (but leaving methanol as a residue in the beverages).
Now there is a real substitute for benzoates, sorbates, metabisulphite, parabens and other synthetic chemical preservatives.
Please can you send me some more info on the Herbal Active (both for food and cosmetic applications). Please give me a cost indication and pack size as well. Thank you
— Lucinda · Jun 14, 10:38 AM · #
Hi, I am wondering if Herbal Active would be suitable in water based product with a ph range of 7 – 7.5
Thanks
Hi Barry, it will work but at a higher addition level than for food where you do not want any flavour. What's the product? Maybe I can help with the process of adapting Herbal-Active for the best use. Email me directly and I'll be able to help with other information.
Cheers, Vic
— Barry Basakerville · Jun 22, 10:00 AM · #
this site was really helpful on what herbs and other ingredients to use but what kinds of meats do you use the most when you’re cooking Australian food? And what kinds of vegetables do you pair up with what kind of meat?
Hi Doni,
We have game meats including kangaroo, crocodile, emu and possum but they are less popular than beef and lamb. However, Australia has bountiful seafood, shellfish and farmed fish and our herbs, spices, sauces, syrups and infused oils etc, go really well with these delicious foods.
Cheers, Vic
— doni · Jun 26, 06:23 PM · #
We’re looking for natural preservatives as alternatives for sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. Does Herbal-Active work well with tomato-based sauces? Does it work well with molds?
Do you have a trader in the Philippines? Can you provide us samples for our evaluation?
Hi Adel, I hope you have caught up with my distributor in the Philippines and your trials are progressing well.
Cheers,
Vic
— Adel Marian dela Rosa · Jul 24, 06:04 AM · #
Hi Vic, we have spoken previously about Herbal active and you trialling a version for me without 1,3 butylene glycol (you were going to use glycerin instead I think). Would you kindly contact me to advise if the trial was successful as I need to advise ACO that I will be using herbal active in my certified organic products. My auditor will arrive on 9 September so if you could give me a response before then I would be very grateful. Kind Regards, Grace Culhaci, Pure and Green Organics, 02 9638 7575
Grace, my oil based formulation might work for some applications where the oil can be emulsified into the product. I'm happy to send a sample. Cheers, Vic
— Grace Culhaci · Aug 26, 09:31 AM · #
hi there, would either of these natural preservatives be suitable to use for liquid natural food extract food colouring to give it shelf life?
thanks
Katy
Hi Katy
Yes, my Herbal-Active is probably the formulation you need to protect your natural food colouring both as an antimicrobial and an antioxidant.
— katy · Sep 18, 04:01 PM · #
Hi, I’m looking for a cost effective natural preservative to extend the shelf life of fruit cake. Can you help?
Thanks, Cheryl
Cheryl, if you dip the fruits in a 0.2% solution of Herbal-Active you will drop the microbial load significantly. Then include 0.01% Herbal-Active in the mix (weight of mixture without the fruit) and it should extend the shelf life significantly.
Cheers, Vic
— Cheryl · Sep 26, 04:47 AM · #
We’re looking for a natural preservative as an alternative for sodium benzoate. Do you have a distributor in the U.S.
Hi Walt, I am currently sending out samples from Australia but will have product available out of the US shortly.
— Walt Arnsperger · Oct 3, 10:01 PM · #
Your site tells me what the product does not what it is.
Hi Maggie. In which product are you interested?
— Maggie Dickson · Oct 7, 06:21 AM · #
I would like to have more information on this natural preservative. Has any clinical been done? I would like to review all technical information available.
Lots of testing done and many companies now using it as well. Particularly in cosmetics, beverages, meat and produce dipping, seasonings, even baked goods.
— Donna Meningall · Oct 14, 06:22 PM · #
Please can you send me some more info on the Herbal Active (for food applications). Please give me a cost indication and pack size as well. Thank you
Hi Stuart,
I have emailed you a package of files all about my natural preservatives. They have wide application in foods, beverages, flavorings, raw produce, prepared foods, cosmetics and more.
Let me know if you'd like a sample once I know what sort of application for which you need this effective shelf life extender. Cheers, Vic
— Stuart Laws · Nov 6, 06:26 AM · #
Hi, Vic:
I came across your website while looking for all-natural preservatives to use in bath and body products—I want to avoid parabens and benzoates. I ordered 3 bags of the powdered Herbal-Active from your website. It seems, however, that you have both water-soluble and oil-soluble formulations. Is the powder that I ordered oil-soluble? If not, could you send me an oil-soluble sample? Many of my products have little to no water. Thanks. Blaqpointe, Inc., 17202 Riva Ct., Accokeek, MD 20607 USA
Hi Angela, did you get the oil-based sample we sent to you? Vic
— Angela Akinpelu · Jan 9, 04:44 AM · #
I am looking for an organic preservative to give my product a shelf life. Can this be used in cooking and is there a limit to the temperature?
Thank you!
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca,
My antimicrobials are certainly suitable for cooked foods with attention being paid to when it is best added. This generally equates to post-cooking, on cooling and pre-chilling/packing.
— Rebecca · Jan 27, 01:00 AM · #
Hi, just came across your product and would like to know if it is suitable for brownies. I currently provide a preservative free product and a customer has asked for a longer shelf life. Do tell me more on how to use your product qty to use etc and where I can get it. I am in St Lucia.
Hi Vanda
Yes, my Herbal-Active will work in baked foods. I'd recommend that you try 0.05% initially and test for taste. If you can go higher (0.1%) all the better to control moulds.
You can order a 30g sachet through our on-line store
.— Vanda · Feb 8, 07:09 AM · #
Hi, we are making natural skin creams and balms and we’re wanting to use your herbal active to protect against mould. The creams are majority water and the balms have no water at all. would you please send me some samples to test in our products. If the water content is say 700mls what quantity of herbal active would we need to add? Thanks. Suzanne
Hi Suzanne. There are lots of companies now using Herbal-Active in cosmetic preparations as a natural preservative and aromatic fragrance. Email me your details and a little more information on your products.
Cheers, Vic
— Suzanne Clemo · May 2, 09:51 AM · #
I am interested in your product for use in sauces etc., which I make for local market. Can you let me know, how I can order it, and the cost of getting same to ireland.
Imelda.
We use it in our sauces for additional shelf life on opening. The addition rate is 0.1%.
We now have the product in our on-line store in 30g (1oz) sachets and even 1kg bags.
— imelda · Jul 22, 06:31 PM · #
Hi there,
I’m looking for a natural preservative to use in sausage making for my local butchers.
This looks to be exactly what I’m after.
I see from your site that you have a UK distributor, so could I get a sample from them (once I know who they are) to try?
Regards,
Steve
Hi Steve,
We are currently sending out product from Australia as we only have active representation of this product in Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand and the USA.
With sausages, it is preferred to dip the primals before trimming as cutting trim can often drag micro-organisms from the surface into the cuts in the meat. This protects them from most preservatives except for tiny mobile molecules such as sorbates and benzoates. Mincing meat into a hetergenous mix of fat and protein makes it even harder for my mixtures to get to the bacterial cells to kill them.
The successful companies using Herbal-Active in sausages dip the meat in a 2% solution prior to trimming and then mince product which is low in microbial load. The H-A does not contribute any flavour once well drained even though the solution is a little aromatic.
I am happy to send you a sample if you provide an address.
Cheers,
Vic
— Steve · Sep 2, 06:21 PM · #
Nice posts there – thanks for the interesting information.
— Oleg · Oct 2, 03:51 AM · #
Hi Vic I am interested in your anti microbial for our gluten free baked goods, what do you recommend, and do you have an outlet here in the States.
Hi Rita,
Sorry not to have replied sooner but in fact, I have only just enlisted a representative in the USA - Jeff Gompper from On The Rise. I'll get him to follow up with you.
Cheers,
Vic
— rita · Jan 12, 11:28 AM · #
I would like to know your sales representative contact for Herbal Active in USA. Thanks.
— Jeff Tun · Oct 22, 10:35 PM · #
Hi Vic, I am very interested in your natural preservatives as we manufacture personal care products as well as food products. Please send some samples so that our laboratory may evaluate them.
Regards,
Theoni
— Theoni Karadimas · Nov 23, 02:42 AM · #
I’m in the process of starting up a new business and my website is on it’s way.
It’s a very healthy supplement mix that I’m doing containing some of the top superfood nuts, 0ats and wheat, a couple dried fruits, spirulina, etc. I don’t want to use any chemical preservatives and a lot of the ingredients are susceptible to rancidity.
I was searching the web for something natural that would preserve these ingredients when milled to a rough flour consistency. This then would be to supplement diets– breakfast, cooking, yogurt pots at work, sport and extreme sport/camping etc to gain fibre and vitamins. Also I thought about freezing honey and shredding it among the ingredients and also adding healthy herbs like cumin and turmeric to stave off micro organisms – I don’t think spraying the ingredients with Rosemary etc would work!
However, would Herbal-Active work with these sorts of food as I’m looking to launch quite big when ready.
Hi Kim,
Herbal-Active&174; can be used as a dipping solution to clean up the ingredients before you blend them. Also, there are some great syrups made from fruit fiber that you could use with a little or instead of honey which won't cut once frozen. Or you could use liquid stevia and fruit fiber.
— Kim Wright · Jan 10, 02:20 AM · #
Hi Vic,
Your natural preservatives sound fantastic. Even better that they’re an Aussie innovation. I am looking specifically at herb Bev at this point for use in the manufacture of a sugar based juice using concentrate. Are you able to inform me of pricing, packaging and any other specific data that may be useful. I’m pretty new to this particular industry so am doing a lot of research currently.
Regards
Kary
— Kary Agrotis · Feb 27, 07:15 AM · #
Is Herbal Active allowed in fruit cake in Canada? How is it declared on the ingredient listing?
Hi Janice, Herbal-Active is allowed anywhere as it is only made from essential oils from culinary herbs on acacia gum. The declaration is natural flavors (essential oils) and rather than use it as an ingredient in your fruit cake, I'd recommend you use it as a 1% dipping solution and sanitize the ingredients which are the source of moulds and bacteria.
— janice meseyton · Apr 23, 01:39 AM · #
Glad to have found you! i am looking to make sausages with herbal active for my stores. If all goes well i would love to help promote your product to other businesses in the meat industry. We should try to feature you with meat and livestock australia. I will contact you on the number provided.
Hi Kristy. Glad to meet you too. Let's see where this goes. Thanks in advance for your help. Cheers, Vic
— Kristy Barbara · Jan 22, 12:37 PM · #
If you want to be in the 3rd Edition of Preservatives for Cosmetics, please email me your information
Thanks David. Info sent. Cheers, Vic
— David Steinberg · Mar 16, 08:19 PM · #
Thank you for sharing this information.
— kristina harry · Nov 28, 09:17 PM · #
could this be used as a replacement for Velcorin in wine?
Unfortunately alternatives to metabisulphite in wine is a challenge. Even Velcorin which as I understand was developed by the Germans during the war as part of their gas warfare research against the Jews, is not so useful. Sulphites in wine have a 4 pronged function which is both antimicrobial and antioxidant in nature.
Herbal-Active can certainly stop yeasts effectively and if grapes can practically be dipped in a 1% solution of Herbal-Active then the harvest can be sanitized, ready for crushing and inoculation with selected yeasts for fermentation. This dipping process can remove all micro-organisms, including bacteria, molds, yeasts etc. Residual H-A might still inhibit some growth of Saccharomyces spp. which might need to be added in higher numbers to get fermentation going. Additionally, H-A is antioxidant so this might help with flavour stabilization and maturing of the wine even though addition rate is very low. It may be possible to add 0.05% H-A to the finished ferment prior to ageing in barrels or bottling.
My only concern is the practicality of dipping the harvest as with bulk picking some grapes are crushed in the field. If trays (possibly ones fitting into the bins and stacking the grapes in layers could be used rather than bins, it may provide a solution. There are growers/winemakers trialing H-A at the moment so I'll report the findings as they come to hand.
— neil collins · Dec 18, 03:35 AM · #
Great post! I would like to read more from your blog. Thanks for the post!
— Mikai Malone · Dec 28, 01:24 AM · #
This will be a very helpful and useful product. Thank you for sharing this!
— Wendy Wilson · Jan 11, 11:36 PM · #
Hi, could you please send me more info on my email for preserving fresh fruit juices. How long will be the shelf life of the juice and of the Herbal Active? Thanks for your help
Hi Olga, I sent through some information. I do supply some establishments making juices. One vegetable juice company was getting 28 days but they only labeled a shelf life of 14 days as longer suggested a preservative was being used. :)
— Olga · Mar 8, 06:28 PM · #
Dear Vic,
with some friend we are interested to your herbal_Active product. Do you think it will be active in alcoholic drinks like beers or similar under 15% alcohol? In our bar we are producing some local product of our invention and we would like switch to 100% natural.
Thanks for your answer. Regards.
Hi Ivan,
Herbal-Active can work in beverages and it is effective against yeasts and bacteria when used as a simple additive at around 0.05%.
Cheers,
Vic
— Ivan · Apr 2, 09:24 AM · #
hi, Vic, I started my small business recently, I make face and body creams with natural ingredients only, but I realize that they need anti microbial protection if i start selling them . I don’t want to use chemical preservatives and came across your Herbal active. Could you kindly confirm that you still produce it, and if it is possible to obtain a sample to try it out Hope to hear from you, Margaret.
Hi Margaret. Absolutely we still produce it. The demand has never been higher for a natural antimicrobial for cosmetics, foods, beverages and more. We have sample quantities available in the on-line store as I get so many requests for samples that I have had to offer them as a stock item. Cheers, Vic
— Margaret · Apr 14, 06:12 AM · #