Table 3.

Organic acids as antimicrobial agents in meat products

Compounds	Microbial target	Action mechanism	Primary food applications
Acetic acid, acetates, diacetates, dehydroacetic acid	Yeasts, bacteria	Cytoplasmic acidification results in malfunction of energy production and regulation parameters which results in accumulation of free acid anion to a toxic limit that can kill or retard the growth of the microbes	Dairy products, meats
Lactic acid, lactates	Bacteria	Establishment of a transmembrane gradient by the diffusion of an dissociated acid through a microbial membrane	Meats, fermented foods
Sodium propionate	Molds	Cytoplasmic acidification results in malfunction of energy production and regulation parameters which results in accumulation of free acid anion to a toxic limit that can kill or retard the growth of the microbes	Meat products

Source: Food and Drug Administration (FDA)