Pomegranate with water drops on a dark background. Generative AI

Preserving flavor – naturally!

Editor: Kerstin Stenger

August 6, 2025

Healthy and sustainable, natural and effective: when it comes to food and nutrition, consumer preferences have evolved from a trend to a principle. Food specialists and influencers are leading the way: those who are mindful of what they eat and drink and rely on natural superpowers have understood this. Moving away from artificial additives toward natural solutions. A solution like our “natural guardian” Nagardo^®.

This innovative product, derived from a fungus, offers a natural and highly effective solution for preserving the quality and safety of food – without any artificial preservatives.

More naturalness, fewer additives

Nagardo^® is already being used successfully in the beverage industry. Since the end of 2024, the natural preservative has also been used commercially in the food sector for the first time – for example, in the surface treatment of pomegranate arils, which would otherwise spoil and ferment quickly. Here, Nagardo^® prevents yeast growth and significantly extends shelf life.

Dacryopinax spathularia,an edible jelly fungus

What is Nagardo^®?

Nagardo^® is a natural, fermentatively produced product obtained from the edible fungus Sweet Osmanthus Ear (Dacryopinax spathularia). It consists of highly effective glycolipids produced by fermentation based on renewable raw materials. This makes Nagardo^® one of the few effective, natural preservatives on the market that are effective against many molds, yeasts and bacteria.

Mehr zu Nagardo

The solution? It's very simple!

The use of Nagardo^® in the production process is very simple. For the preservation of pomegranate arils and in sausage production, the natural preservative is applied by means of surface treatment.

Preservation of pomegranate with Nagardo.

Preservation process with Nagardo

A real grenade at its core

After the seeds have been mechanically extracted, preservation takes place in the penultimate production step. The seeds are briefly immersed in a solution consisting of water and Nagardo^®.
Afterwards, they are dried and then packaged.

Time for sausage

After filling the sausage casings with the meat mixture, the sausages are immersed in a Nagardo® solution, which can also be combined with other substances such as lactic acid.
They are then hung on stainless steel racks so that excess solution can drain off before they are placed in the maturing chamber.

Approved in the US, pending in the EU

In the US Nagardo^® is commercially used in the production of pomegranate arils and also approved for sausage products. Registration is currently being pursued for the European Union. Experience shows that this takes longer due to more complex regulations, and Nagardo® experts expect approval here in 2026. Approval will open up a significant market for sustainable, natural preservation solutions.

Natural, versatile, simple

With Nagardo^®, manufacturers are opting for a sustainable, healthy, and natural solution for food preservation. This is a trend that is catching on with consumers and food specialists alike: moving away from artificial additives toward naturally produced, fermented active ingredients. Whether for the surface treatment of perishable products such as pomegranate arils or in other food applications.

The advantages of Nagardo^® at a glance:

Natural and effective: fermentatively produced, free of genetic engineering and chemical additives
Innovative: one of the few natural products that represents a real alternative in food preservation
Versatile: particularly suitable for the surface treatment of microbially sensitive foods
Regulatory approval on the way: already approved in the US for selected applications, EU approval for selected applications expected in 2026

So if you want to rely on natural, effective preservation, Nagardo^® is a real solution for the future. The beverage industry is already doing it!