GUEST COLUMN Keeping it all fresh for longer...


While baked goods remain an important element of balanced diets today, the sheer variety and volume of bakery products on display on supermarket shelves, from bread rolls to sausage rolls, means that the issue of managing shelf life is a complex one, with many different contributory factors. Consumers are increasingly discerning,


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demanding products of the highest quality that taste as fresh as possible for as long as possible, not to mention transparent in terms of their labelling. This provides bakers with a challenge – to meet consumer demand for freshness while extending shelf life, managing clean label requirements and maintaining product stability. Getting to grips with the issue of baked goods’ shelf life and understanding how to extend it,


helf life issues are a major concern for bakers the world over.


Gary Tucker & Paul Catterall


Meeting the shelf-life challenge while maintaining freshness is not easy. Campden BRI’s Gary Tucker and Paul Catterall take a look at the problem and discuss some possible solutions.


requires in-depth knowledge of what determines loss of shelf life. While consumers may say ‘this bread tastes stale’


or ‘this pastry is soggy’ it is important that we understand the underlying physical and chemical changes that have brought about the reduction in shelf life. There are two types of shelf-life, firstly how long


the product will stay safe to eat and mould-free and secondly how long the eating quality will be maintained. When stored at ambient temperatures, most


European Baker Magazine - Digital Digest • www.worldbakers.com


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