Product Reformulation for Today’s Consumer: Navigating the Shift to Natural Preservatives

For decades, preservatives have been used broadly in home, personal care, food, and beverage products to safeguard against pathogens, slow spoilage, and extend product shelf life. In anticipation of increased regulations and in response to consumer demand, many brands are working to identify safer and more effective preservatives for their consumer products. 

• Regulatory tightening. In 2022, U.S. federal legislation introduced stricter Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) oversight, increasing scrutiny on synthetic additives in food and personal care products. This is compounded by recent uncertainty on whether the GRAS pathway will continue forward.
• Consumer pressure. Shoppers are increasingly rejecting artificial ingredients and demanding labels with recognizable, “natural” components.
• Brand response. Leading manufacturers are under pressure to reimagine their preservative strategies, balancing safety, shelf life, and transparency. 

Against this backdrop, a Fortune 500 Fast-Moving Consumer Goods manufacturer partnered with RTI to map the landscape of next-generation natural preservatives, with a focus on solutions that go beyond incremental improvements and unlock new partnership opportunities. 

RTI experts conducted a comprehensive technology scan across food, beverage, and adjacent industries, identifying natural preservative solutions that target both spoilage and pathogenic organisms. 

We curated findings into an actionable framework, segmented by the source of the antimicrobial active. These sources include the following:

• Plant-derived: substances obtained from plants with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
• Animal-derived: compounds produced by animals or from animal tissues with antimicrobial activity.  
• Bacteria-derived: compounds produced by bacteria.
• Bacteriophages: viruses that infect and kill certain bacteria, but do not harm human or animal cells.
• Live cultures: microorganisms that outcompete spoilage microbes and exert antimicrobial effects.
• Hybrid and combination systems: formulations that combine two or more types of actives.

Through this analysis, we surfaced dozens of candidate natural preservation technologies and prioritized those with the most immediate potential for food and beverage applications. 

Several key takeaways emerged from the analysis:

• Rapid rate of growth in plant, microbial, and hybrid systems. Fermentation-derived actives and multi-component blends are among the fastest-moving spaces, with start-ups and established players pushing toward food-grade applications.
• Rising potential in bacterial cultures and extracts. Live or inactivated cultures, antimicrobial peptides, and extracts are being refined for broader-spectrum and more consistent performance.
• Clear partnership pathways. There are multiple companies with scalable platforms and strong interest in co-development. 

At the end of the project, the team delivered a shortlist of five high-potential partners and built out knowledge assets to guide investment in actives to control lactic acid bacteria, acid-tolerant yeast, and Clostridium botulinum. 

For Consumer Packaged Goods manufacturers, the natural preservative space is no longer about incremental product reformulation. It is about 

• anticipating regulatory shifts before they disrupt portfolios;
• differentiating from the competition by focusing on clean labels and building consumer trust; and
• building partnerships with start-ups, universities, and ingredient suppliers to shape the future of food safety.

RTI's multidisciplinary expertise helps research and development leaders translate broad technology landscapes into actionable roadmaps for product reformulation—aligning science, regulation, and consumer demand to accelerate innovation pipelines. 

Learn more about RTI’s food innovation solutions and sign up for the Growth Brief Newsletter to get insights in your inbox.