Measure to optimize shelf life

Preservatives: In order to prolong the service intervals, bakery products must have long microbiological stability. The statutory regulations permit the use of chemical preservatives such as sorbic or propionic acid and the salts of these. But in practice it has to be taken into account that preservatives inhibit fermentation in yeast-risen doughs.

Therefore, they should not be dissolved in the added water too soon and come into contact with the yeast. It is advisable to increase the amount of baking yeast by 20% to 30%.

The addition of preservatives and the high yeast content increase the costs.

From the sensory point of view, too, the use of preservatives has its limits: both sorbic and propionic acid have considerable influence on the smell and taste of baked goods.

Modified atmosphere packaging and clean-room technology: As far as production plant and machinery are concerned, there are a number of ways of prolonging the shelf life and freshness of bakery products. One tried-and-tested possibility is to pack them in a modified atmosphere. In this method, the oxygen in the pack is expelled with the aid of natural gases such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen in order to suppress the growth of mold spores on the surface of the goods for as long as possible. The most reliable form of protection, and the method used in industrial bakeries, is clean-room technology, which ensures that the ambient air is sterile when the goods are packed.

If all the precautions necessary for prolonging microbiological stability are taken, the shelf life of bakery products can be extended significantly. A minimum safe consumption period of up to 60 days for wrapped sliced bread is no longer utopic.