Innodal’s Clean-Label Processing Aid for Listeria Receives Green Light from USDA

By Food Safety Magazine Editorial Team

INNEO product — Image courtesy of Innodal

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) has issued a No Objection Letter (NOL) for Innodal’s INNEO as a processing aid to control Listeria monocytogenes in meat and poultry products. This NOL enables U.S. meat and poultry processors to use INNEO both as a surface treatment and directly within the food matrix of comminuted products.

USDA confirmed it has no objection to the intended uses of INNEO as an antimicrobial intervention when applied on product surfaces or mixed into ready-to-eat formulations (RTE), confirming full regulatory compliance within FSIS-regulated establishments.

INNEO is a natural antimicrobial processing aid based on a bacteriocin, a class of peptides recognized for their targeted activity against L. monocytogenes. The technology is also determined “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Already commercialized in Canada, INNEO offers U.S. processors a clean-label alternative to conventional antimicrobials. Industry trials have demonstrated strong efficacy against L. monocytogenes while preserving product quality attributes such as taste, texture, and appearance.

As a recognized processing aid, INNEO can be implemented without ingredient labeling changes.

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The Food Safety Magazine editorial team comprises Bailee Henderson, Director of Content Strategy and news editor ✉, and Adrienne Blume, M.A., Director of Editorial and Industry Engagement.