ABSTRACT
Even in foodstuffs such as yogurt, cranberries were found to suppress microbial growth. This suppression was most evident within 24 h after addition of fruit (Penney et al., 2004). Benzoic acid occurs naturally in lingonberries, cranberries, cloudberries, and cinnamon (Davidson, 1997; Heimhuber et al., 1990; Visti, Viljakainen, and Laakso, 2003). Benzoic acid concentration is especially high in lingonberries (0.6-1.3 g/l free benzoic acid), whereas the pH is low (pH 2.6-2.9), and is increased if the juice is stored under warm conditions. Not many microorganisms can ferment lingonberries and this fruit can normally be conserved without preservatives (Be-Onishi et al., 2004).
