The most effective way to extend shelf life is executing a multi-pronged path as various ingredients can help in different ways. 

“Selecting a preservation solution and optimizing formula to inhibit microbial growth is a critical aspect of extending shelf life,” said Ashley Beech, product development manager, bakery, Corbion. “Antioxidants can be used to slow lipid oxidation and prevent off-flavors occurring from rancidity. Packaging can be paired with these solutions to optimize moisture migration, modify product atmosphere and reduce light exposure.”

For long-term shelf life extension, enzymes like amylases and emulsifiers can help maintain texture and prevent staling.

“Emulsifiers help provide improved loaf volume and complex with amylose starch to improve crumb softness in the early stages of the shelf life,” said Sivakumar Pattathil, lead scientist, baking enzyme applications, Lallemand Baking. “Emulsifiers like monoglycerides physically separate individual strands of starch from one another, which inhibits crystallization. Hydrocolloids — gums, cellulose, pectin — reduce moisture loss during baking and control water movement in the loaf. Less water movement means less mobility for the starch and less recrystallization.”

With some emulsifiers, especially those helping with aeration, more than one replacement ingredient may be needed.

“This could translate to higher cost-in-use and may not achieve the same level of effectiveness,” said Margaret Walsh, senior scientist, Patco Products.

Nicolas Nayener, R&D lab manager at Eurogerm KB, said the use of enzymes is becoming increasingly prevalent.

“They can increase the shelf life by delaying starch retrogradation and converting oil/fat into mono- and diglycerides to maintain the softness of baked goods,” he explained.

Nayener also mentioned the importance of starting with a clean production environment followed by the use of anti-mold ingredients.

A balanced recipe is going to help with shelf life extension, said Jerry Savino, technical services manager, bakery, Kemin Food Technologies. There are some alternative strategies to extending shelf life. Add more sugar, such as enzymes like amylase, to fermentation in batter or dough. Lipase can help maintain or cut the fat content while maintaining flavor and texture. A stabilizing emulsifier can also extend shelf life.

“Then there is the combination of moisture control, reducing water activity, modified atmosphere packaging, refrigerating or freezing, and the use of preservatives (natural/synthetic) with antioxidants,” he added.

To extend mold-free shelf life, options like sorbic acid or potassium sorbate are available. 

“Shelf life extenders can be classified as either natural or artificial and can address both mold prevention and texture retention,” said Dana Duwe, laboratory supervisor, AB Mauri North America. “Sorbic acid, while highly effective in extending mold-free shelf life, is not a natural option. When it comes to texture, there isn’t a single best solution. Instead, achieving an optimal shelf life often involves a balance of emulsifiers, enzymes, sugar, hydrocolloids, fats/oils and modified starches.”

Increasing moisture retention without increasing free water in the product helps keep the product soft over a longer period of time, warding off staling and hardening, said Melanie Weber, senior research and development scientist, Cain Foods. 

“Using ingredients that bind water, like sugar or hydrocolloids, increases the moisture content without leaving water free for bacterial activity,” she explained. “Additionally, pH control of the product is important for maintaining a long shelf life without mold or bacterial growth.”

Staling can be delayed even in items that don’t have a lot of sugar.

“Even in low sugar baked goods, adding enzymes to convert part of the starch into simpler sugars like maltose helps extend shelf life without increasing the sweetness,” Nayener said. “Maltose is significantly less sweet than sucrose.”

Bakers interested in switching to natural mold inhibitors may need to reformulate to ensure the flavors will not be affected, said Michael Chancafe, senior bakery applications scientist, J&K Ingredients, which makes the natural ESL ingredient Bred-Mate.

“To determine the optimum shelf life of a sweet good, a shelf life study must be performed to determine not only spoilage-free life but also quality eating like good texture, flavor and nice mouthfeel,” he advised. 

When baking non-GMO, better-for-you, all-natural sweet breads, bakeries should consider clean label enzyme solutions that suit the application, advised Cam Suárez Bitár, director of marketing and public relations, Bellarise.

“In cases where a better-for-you bread is being baked, sugars and fats are often reduced, so it takes a delicate balance to get flavor and texture right,” he said.

While some bakers are interested in clean label solutions, others are looking to reduce the number of ingredients, Walsh said.

“They will keep certain artificial ingredients, especially if they have the best function and no clean label options provide the desired effects,” she explained.

Innophos has developed a product that combines a number of ingredients to extend shelf life.

“Our solution combines a leavening system, enzymes and antioxidants,” said Erhan Yildiz, product development senior manager, Innophos. “The technology has been shown to double shelf life while maintaining freshness, controlling microbial growth and retaining volume.”

Although some bakeries are pursuing clean label shelf life extenders, others rely on artificial systems as they provide a number of advantages.

“Artificial preservatives commonly used today include potassium sorbate, sorbic acid and sodium propionate,” said Daniel Marciani, director of research & development, J&K Ingredients. “Natural shelf life extenders for freshness include fermented fruit and plant extracts, fermented wheat and starches along with added acidulants.”

Artificial preservatives are highly concentrated because they are produced in the lab, which means they are effective at a low dose, he explained.

“On the other hand, clean label shelf life extenders deliver equal performance at the same concentration levels, but using a combination of different organics and natural compounds and sometimes higher doses are needed to reach the same effectiveness depending on the applications,” Marciani said.

Clean label preservatives like vinegar-based antimicrobials are popular for their natural properties.

“Buffered vinegar is often used to inhibit mold and bacterial growth,” said Luc Casavant, director, baking applications, Lallemand Baking. “Fermentates, such as cultured dextrose, are effective in extending shelf life by preventing spoilage. Extracts from rosemary and green tea are used to prevent oxidation, which helps maintain freshness and flavor. Essential oils like cinnamon and clove have natural antimicrobial properties and are used in clean label preservation.”

Duwe said she noticed an increasing number of customers requesting clean label preservation.

“However, most clean label preservation options currently available on the market are geared toward bread as they tend to be more effective at a lower pH,” she added.

Bakers of sweet baked goods need to ensure that their products have a long shelf life while maintaining texture and flavor. This can be achieved by customizing ESL solutions to each application.

This article is an excerpt from the February 2025 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Extended Shelf Life, click here.