Washington, Aug 14 - A researcher has found a way to turn the throwaway kernels in mangos into a natural food preservative that could help prevent Listeriosis, which is a serious infection caused by contaminated food.

The findings can also apply to other fruit seeds like grapes, said Christina Engels, who conducted the research at the University of Alberta (U-A).

Pure tannins, a plant component extracted from otherwise useless mango kernels by Engels, has proven inhibitory effects against various strains of bacteria including Listeria, a potentially deadly pathogen that infected some packaged meats and caused an outbreak of disease in Canada in 2008.

Engels' research focuses on a way to recycle wood-like mango kernels, which are usually thrown away or burned.

'By processing the kernels for their tannins, businesses have a way to completely utilise all fruit parts and therefore increase their profit,' she said. Currently, mangos are one of the main fruits marketed globally, ranked fifth in world production among the major fruit crops.

The research was published in the latest edition of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.