23 jan. 2025
Bread is a universal staple, yet its perishability often leads to food waste and lost profits, both at home and on grocery shelves. In fact, it accounts for a significant portion of daily food wastage in grocery stores.
For bakeries and manufacturers, extending bread’s shelf life isn’t just a business need, it’s an investment into sustainability and customers’ convenience.
Find out practical ways you can adapt.
Why does extending shelf-life matter?
Consumenten brengen minder bezoeken aan winkels, brengen minder tijd door in winkels en zijn geneigd bepaalde producten in grotere hoeveelheden in te slaan. Bakkerij vormt daarop geen uitzondering. Een betere bewaring van brood met natuurlijke oplossingen is de manier om op deze trend in te spelen. Wij hebben enkele tips verzameld waarmee u uw bakkerijproducten een paar dagen langer kunt bewaren, zodat uw klanten langer van heerlijk vers brood kunnen genieten.
Understanding bread’s shelf-life
The shelf life of bread varies by type and storage method:
- Commercial breads typically last 2-4 days at room temperature or up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
- Gluten-free breads, with their higher moisture content, often require freezing for preservation.
- Dense breads like sourdough and rye naturally last longer due to their acidity and antimicrobial properties.
Why does bread spoil?
Bread undergoes natural processes like staling and microbial spoilage, which affect its freshness. Staling occurs as the starch molecules recrystallize, causing bread to lose its softness. On the other hand, microbial spoilage (the growth of molds and bacteria) shortens its usability.
To combat these issues, bakers can leverage a combination of traditional techniques and innovative solutions. Here’s a few to trial.
Proven techniques to extend shelf life of baked goods
Choose innovative packaging solutions
For bakery businesses aiming to extend the shelf-life of their products, selecting the right packaging is crucial. Here are some effective packaging options:
Plastic Bags: These are popular for preserving moisture and keeping bread soft and fresh. Monomaterial solutions, such as polyethylene or polypropylene bags, are preferred due to their recyclability.
Composite Packaging: Combining plastic and aluminum foil, this packaging offers robust protection against moisture and oxygen, making it ideal for products requiring a longer shelf life. It is often used with modified atmospheres, utilizing inert gases like nitrogen and CO2, or with vacuum sealing.
For those prioritizing sustainability, recyclable packaging made from monomaterials or biodegradable packaging from compostable bioplastics can maintain freshness while being environmentally friendly.
Coated Paper Bags: Perfect for artisanal bread, these bags allow the crumb to stay fresh and the crust to remain crisp, though they are better suited for short-term storage.
By choosing the appropriate packaging, bakery businesses can ensure their products stay fresh and appealing for longer periods.
TIPS VOOR EEN LANGERE BEWARING VAN BROOD
Eerste tip: Aanzuren! Aanzuren wordt vaak gebruikt in de bereiding van brood om het langer te bewaren. 1% azijn op het meelgewicht toevoegen is een natuurlijke manier om je deeg, en dus je brood, aan te zuren. Kies azijn die bijna smaakloos is voor uw recepten, zoals bijvoorbeeld appelazijn.
Een andere oplossing om het brood beter te bewaren is het gebruik van de juiste verbeteraar, waardoor uw producten gemakkelijk 4 tot 5 dagen houdbaar blijven. Vervang uw gewone broodverbeteraar door een Soft'r-verbeteraar. Dit geeft extra zachtheid en versheid aan uw brood tot het einde van de houdbaarheidstermijn.
Tot slot, desem! Als u uw eigen zuurdesem gebruikt, helpt dit u al bij de langere vershouding van uw brood. Als u dat niet doet, kan ons assortiment Sapore-desems u helpen om de houdbaarheid te verlengen. En bovendien voegt u daardoor extra smaak toe!
Incorporate enzymes and natural preservatives
Natural preservatives, like lactic acid bacteria or vinegar-based additives, can help extend the shelf life of bread without compromising its clean-label appeal. Products like Molderator, a natural fermented flour solution from Puratos, can be added directly to bread recipes (dose at 2% on flour weight on top of your recipe) and ensure freshness up to six days.
Additionally, acidification (adding a small percentage of vinegar to dough) creates an inhospitable environment for mold, further prolonging freshness. Opt for vinegars with a subtle flavor, like some apple vinegars.
Enzymes like amylases delay staling by keeping starch in a gel-like state, preserving softness and freshness. Combining enzymes with natural acidifiers, such as sourdough starters or vinegar, can also enhance bread’s longevity.
Puratos’s Soft’r improvers offer advanced enzyme and emulsifier technologies to maintain crumb texture and mouthfeel, ensuring your bread stays soft throughout its shelf life. On top of that, it helps reduce costs. Meanwhile, Intens Freshness is a modular ingredient in powder form that optimizes the freshness of bakery products for a longer time. It can be used in all type of bakery products with a shelf life up to two weeks.
These methods are increasingly important to consumers who prefer clean-label ingredients they can recognize and trust.
Apply strict hygiene practices
Contamination from bacteria or mold can occur during the cooling, slicing, or packaging stages, dramatically reducing freshness. To prevent this, bakeries should ensure all equipment and workspaces are regularly cleaned, and workers should minimize handling of baked goods by using sanitized gloves and tools.
Tips for different types of bread
Sourdough and rye
The natural acidity in sourdough and the dense structure of rye bread make them ideal choices for waste-conscious bakers. Both are naturally resistant to spoilage, offering longer shelf lives and appealing to health-focused consumers.
Frozen bread
For manufacturers, freezing bread can preserve its freshness for up to six months. Consider incorporating Puratos’s Kimo Improvers, which are specifically designed to optimize the quality of unfermented frozen bread, ensuring consistency during proofing and baking.
Ready to innovate?
Whether you’re an artisan bakery or a large-scale manufacturer, Puratos is here to support your journey toward crafting longer-lasting bread.
Contact your local Puratos representative to explore how we can support you, your profits, and your commitment to sustainability.
REFERENCES
- Puratos: Improve the Quality and Extend the Shelf Life of Packed Goods
- Puratos: Kimo Improvers: Extend Freezer Shelf Life for Unfermented Frozen Bread Processes
- Rademaker: Long Shelf Life Production
- Baking & Snack: Longer Shelf Life Through Ingredient Innovation
- Packaging World: Active Packaging Innovations Help Minimize Food Waste
- MasterClass: How Long Does Bread Last?
- Food Republic: Why Store-Bought Bread Lasts Longer
- USDA: How Long Can I Store Bread?
- Link Retail: Even One Store Can Save More Than 5,000 Bread Yearly
Vergeet niet dat, wanneer uw producten de oven verlaten, ze vrij zijn van elke vorm van contaminatie. Contaminatie is zichtbaar 2-3 dagen na het bakken en het ontstaat tijdens het koelen, snijden, manipuleren en zelfs verpakken. Daarom zullen basismaatregelen van hygiëne zoals het schoonmaken van de werkplek en de apparatuur, het reinigen van uw handen en het dragen van handschoenen de groei van bacteriën voorkomen. En vergeet niet de manipulatie van de gebakken producten tot een minimum te beperken.
Wij zijn ervan overtuigd dat al deze tips de houdbaarheid en conservering van uw producten zullen verbeteren.
