History & Application of Nisin

Nisin, produced by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, was developed in the early 1960s and is currently the most researched of all bacteriocins. Nisin was recognized as a food preservative by FAO/WHO in 1969.  In 1988, the FDA approved the use of nisin as an additive in canned products in the United States to inhibit the growth of C. botulinum. Nisin is commonly used as a preservative in processed cheeses and meat products to inhibit Gram-positive spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. The European food additive number is E234. Nisin has been used for several decades as a food preservative in more than 50 countries.

How does it Work?
 
Nisin can inhibit the growth of a variety of food spoilage Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria and Clostridium botulinum, and it is particularly effective against spores that gram-positive bacteria that produces. 
The main preservation mechanism of nisin is to bind to the anionic phospholipids (including lipid II) of the cell membrane and then inserted to the cell membrane.
These processes can stop all biosynthetic processes in Gram-positive bacteria, and therefore kill Gram-positive bacteria. The impermeability to cell walls of Gram-negative bacteria makes it ineffective to it. 
 
What are the uses of Nisin?

Canned Food
Meat（canned ham, smoked pork, salted pork, Sausages, vacuum-packed fresh beef）
Ice Cream
Dairy