Five Food Additives - Keys to Extending the Shelf Life of Bread

With the increasing consumption of bread, extending the shelf life of bread has become one of the most concerned issues for many bread manufacturers and bakers. In this article, we have an in-depth discussion on how to prolong the shelf life of bread. Reading this article will help industrial bakers understand the causes of bread spoilage and know how to ensure that the shelf life of bread is extended without compromising quality.

Why Shelf Life Extension Is Critical?

To begin with, breads that have exceeded their shelf life will affect their quality, freshness, softness and taste. Next, they are also more susceptible to mold and rot. Eating rotten bread can also be harmful to your health, as it can expose us to potentially dangerous molds that can make us sick. However, if bread manufacturers use a variety of methods to extend shelf life, they can ensure that consumers continue to enjoy soft and delicious bread for a relatively long period of time. Moreover, it also helps reduce food waste caused by mold.

How Can We Prolong the Shelf Life of Bread?

Preservatives

The use of bread preservatives has become an integral part of the food system. Preservatives are added to foods to inhibit or slow the growth of fungi and other spoilage microorganisms in baked goods and limit changes in color, texture and flavor, thereby extending shelf life.

Preservatives are divided into natural preservatives and artificial preservatives. The former is extracted from natural foods, such as citric acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, etc. Artificial preservatives are chemically synthesized substances, such as acetic acid, preservative e282 calcium propionate, and potassium sorbate halal. These bread preservatives are effective in preventing the growth of bacteria, mold and yeast, thereby maintaining the freshness of bread.

Emulsifiers

Bread emulsifiers are taken as a crumb softener and dough strengthener. Commercial bakers often add emulsifiers to bread dough to slow down the hardening process and increase the shelf life of the bread.This is because bread emulsifiers can interact with the starch molecules in the bread to prevent the formation of starch crystals and gel networks, thereby extending the shelf life of the bread. Common emulsifiers found in bread include lecithin, mono- and diglycerides of glycerol, DATEM emulsifier, SSL emulsifier, etc.

Enzymes

Enzymes are important components of most bakery products. Enzymes in bread making also have a greater positive impact on bread preservation. Breads with enzymes are preserved for longer periods. Fungal alpha amylase, for example, is an enzyme that occurs naturally in the human body and many plants and animals. Fungal alpha amylase can cut long chains of starch molecules into smaller sugar fragments, making these sugar fragments less prone to crystallization, which helps the bread remain softer for longer. Additionally, these monosaccharides serve as humectants and attract free water. This contributes to the retention of moisture in the bread and slows down aging and staling. Other enzymes often found in bread contain protease,xylanase enzyme, lipase, etc.

Essential Oil

Vegetable essential oils have received a lot of attention in the food sector because of their potential as stain removers and food flavoring agents. Essential oils also play an active role in natural food preservation. It is also capable of extending the shelf life of bread. Carvacrol and eugenol are two antifungal components present in essential oils and can be regarded as antifungal agents. It is this property of essential oils that allows them to be utilized in bread preservation to inhibit the growth of microorganisms and extend shelf life.

Hydrocolloids

Hydrocolloids are ingredients that help to keep bread fresh and tasty for a long time.

Hydrocolloids are water-absorbent, which helps to reduce the loss of water from the breadcrumbs and thus keep the bread at the right level of moisture. This is significant because moisture plays a critical role in keeping bread fresh and soft. By retaining moisture, hydrocolloids assist in preventing the bread from drying out prematurely, thus maintaining softness for a longer period.Hydrophilic colloids used in bread are agar agar e406, carrageenan gum, gum arabic, etc.

Conclusions

There are many ways to extend the shelf life of bread. According to different needs, you can choose the most suitable method.

Chemsino company is an advanced manufacturer and exporter of food additives in China. Regardless of emulsifiers, enzymes or preservatives, our company can provide them for you. Contact me to get further prices and quotation.