The present invention provides a preserved food product comprising a ferulic acid component and an organic acid component in a molar ratio of at least 0.1, the ferulic acid component being selected from ferulic acid, ferulate and combinations thereof; and the organic acid component being selected from acetic acid, acetate, lactic acid, lactate, propionic acid, propionate and combinations thereof; wherein (i) the ferulic acid component and the organic acid component are homogeneously distributed throughout the preserved food product and said food product contains per kg of food product 3.6-75 mmol of the ferulic acid component and 10-200 mmol/kg of the organic acid component; or (ii) the surface of the food product contains 3.6-75 mmol per kg of the ferulic acid component and 10-200 mmol per kg of the organic acid component, the surface of the food product being defined as the outside layer of the food product having a thickness of 0.5 mm. The inventors have found that bacterial spoilage of food products can be delayed very effectively by using a combination of ferulic acid component and organic acid component in carefully balanced concentrations.