Bakery products are excellent candidates for modified atmosphere packaging. In this segment, the products that benefit are tortilla rolls, pita bread, naan, pre-baked breads and other types of flat bread.

Because water activity is low (few free water molecules are available to interact with organisms), the microbes likely to cause spoilage are mainly aerobic moulds, which need oxygen to grow. Bacteria, on the other hand, prefer a greater quantity of water.

In this type of application, the modified atmosphere aims to exclude oxygen by using a high proportion of carbon dioxide (up to 100%), which is a very effective way of considerably extending shelf life.

DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF BAKERY PRODUCTS

The integrity of packaging materials is particularly important for bakery products, as any micro-leakage can lead to oxygen penetration, which would immediately lead to the development of mould, as well as increasing water vapour exchange and therefore altering the hardness of the product.

For fattier recipes, such as croissants, the fats can also go rancid, changing both colour and taste.

A pre-cooked dough packaged in an atmosphere composed exclusively of carbon dioxide will see its use-by date extended by five to twenty days at room temperature.

Some products can reach a best-before date of six months if they are packaged in an appropriate atmosphere and with well-chosen packaging materials.

Modified atmosphere packaging means that bakers don’t have to freeze their products, which makes storage easier and avoids the constraints of cold chain logistics.

Beware, for example, in the case of frozen products, excess carbon dioxide can alter the appearance and acidity of the product.

In this case, the problem is solved by adding a certain amount of nitrogen to the mixture.

Recommended equipment for checking the tightness and gas levels of bakery products