Hi Andy, I'm sorry that you couldn't reach us by email. Sometime it goes to the spam folder and we might miss your mail this way. Since our last Press Release in November 09 we received so many requests from all over the world. It's great because we offer free sample to who wants to try our BIOSECUR organic preservative product. So feel free to contact us if you need any help in this matter.

What a pain. I mean we use certified kitchens (health dept, not ag dept) and we're insured seven ways to sunday but who knew trying to get this further out there would be such a twisted issue. In the states eyes I always considered us a low water activity food, that's what they classify chocolate sauce as--or did. Their new site is confusing me and I should probably talk to the extension office.We currently sterilize the jars through the oven method then we transfer once cooled into a fridge. Which was in line with UGA on Choc. sauce so for general use and early consumption I think we currently meet most criteria, it's the idea of taking this into a wider audience--and outside of cold storage into places that are going to have to go the distance that is deeply worrisome.I think from here we're going to adapt some suggestions ie: switch out some sugar, maybe use some powdered egg instead of total replacement (we're not having good luck with any large % shift), do some testing with Rosemary Oil in very light light use--if we can at all stay in our current textures/tastes/etc, we'll ship it to the state college for testing/evaluating.This has all been talk over chocolate sauces, but what of caramel sauces that use a lot more sugar, then butter & heavy cream. I can't think fructose or dextrose will behave right in a caramel making process. Are there any thoughts on it's safety/stability? I haven't been able to google up much info at all concerning it.

I'd really rather not know this route, but it is good to know there are natural additives that can help slow rancidities & microbes.We have a fudge sauce which a vendor wants to have shelf-stabilized so it does not need refrigeration and can sit on their shelves. Our sauce likes refrigeration and when we do not do so it forms mould specs on the surface that I'm sure would become a forrest if we let it.We always start and end a conversation with refrigeration, enjoy in a timely manner, and hell--just buy more, don't conserve! hehe.In an effort to make inroads into certain retail positions we sometimes have no opportunity for refrigeration but the clients still want us in. I'm just trying to find ways of adding longevity to our products (mainly our ganache which is butter/cream & fudge sauce egg/butter) before like you said butter goes rancid (which is around 2 weeks now at room temp), or mould sets in (which also seems to hover in the 2-3 week range).Again being in the startup phase/curve it's hard for us to justify large expenditures in testing labs or equipment of our own. Most of the time we do direct-to-consumer but I'm marketing us so hard we're attracting a lot of diversified interests which do help us pad the bottom line. The more I can satisfy them the easier it is on our growth but of course I won't compromise our mantra and products if it's created in a science lab.

Thanks you x2. I've written Yves and told him also that their info@ mailbox must lead to a dead-end. Appreciate the information and quick response. Maybe today I can make progress on something hah!

Try contacting Yves Methot yves.methot@biosecur.com. Hes been very responsive to my emails.Im not clear on what youre referring to when you say ROE. Do you mean the Rosemary extract? You can get this from Lorann Oils, they call it simply "Natural Antioxidant."Jeff

I've tried to contact the Biosecur people and they do not return my emails. Have you seen them in a store? I'll keep trying.For the ROE do you have a product by name you'd recommend? I find a lot for skin-care products and while I'm sure it's food-grade I'd like to find something specific. Most sites definitely talk about how it can impart it's flavor into your products so to steer very carefully.

Thanks Jeff for the response, I'll do some research in the directions you've mentioned and report back any findings. Glad to hear there are some natural solutions out there for a variety of these thoughts.

I am not a professional food scientist by any means, but powdered egg yolks may reduce your water activity as you noted. Dairy does have consideration. If you are using a butter ganache or butter in your sauce, there is a natural preservative made from oil of rosemary that delays rancidity and is FDA accepted. It is used in such small proportions that it will not introduce any "off" flavors into your chocolate sauces/ganaches. There is also a new product that is organic and citrus-based from a Canadian place called Biosecur, used in proportions of less than 1% of formula to prevent bacterial/fungal growth.I would highly suggest you purchase a lab Aw meter if you're really concerned about water activity in your formula. They can be had for under $2000.If you're worried about stability as in broken sauce or ganache and the emulsion breaking, you might try xantham gum.Again, though, I qualify this-I am not a food scientist and you'd probably be best off consulting with one for your issue.Best of luck!Jeff

We usually don't stabilize anything (we encourage refridgeration and timely consumption) and some of the retail stores we are looking at have asked us to do just that.
updated by @andy-ciordia: 04/30/15 03:43:02