It's in the pit.(CHEMICAL NEWS/ACTUALITE CHIMIQUE)(Brief article)

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Life in the fruit bowl is no longer the pits, thanks to a University of Alberta (U of A) researcher.

Christina Engels has found a way to turn the throwaway kernels in mangos into a natural food preservative that could help prevent listeriosis outbreaks like the one that killed 21 Canadians last year.

The findings can also apply to other fruit seeds like grapes, said Engels, who conducted the research to earn her master's degree from the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at the U of A.

Tannins, a plant component extracted by Engels from otherwise useless mango kernels, have proven inhibitory effects …