New Frontiers in Shelf Life Optimization
Ingredient producers have been investing heavily in research and development of new solutions that help baked goods stay fresh longer. These solutions help prevent food waste and save ingredients, energy and work hours that would otherwise go down the drain.
Shelf-life optimization solutions are crucial for the baking industry as they help manufacturers extend product freshness, reduce waste, and improve profitability. Short shelf life leads to significant food waste at both the retailer and consumer levels, so optimizing shelf life ensures that products remain fresh for longer, reducing unsold or spoiled goods.
As consumers demand baked goods that maintain their texture, taste, and moisture over time. Advanced solutions, such as enzyme-based formulations, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), and clean-label preservatives, help retain these qualities. Optimized shelf life also reduces returns and markdowns at retail, improving financial margins. It also minimizes production inefficiencies caused by frequent restocking of perishable products.
The global bakery market is predicted to rise at a CAGR of 2.5% between 2022 and 2028, to a projected size of USD 77580 million. With such growth potential, baked goods producers are striving to meet demand, whilst also juggling with challenges such as delivering products at reasonable prices that are convenient and include health benefits. We asked two important producers what are the best solutions they’re offering.
Innovation
In the past two years, Corbion has introduced a suite of innovative solutions aimed at extending shelf life naturally while meeting growing consumer demand for clean-label and sustainable products. “One of our most groundbreaking advancements is the Corbion Natural Mold Inhibition Model (CNMIM),” says Dieneke van Houwelingen, Business Development Manager, EMEA, Corbion. “This predictive modeling tool enables bakers to evaluate their formulations against 11 different types of mold, ensuring optimal natural mold inhibition solutions tailored to their unique recipes. By integrating this tool into their R&D processes, manufacturers can significantly reduce trial-and-error testing, achieve shelf-life targets, and maintain product quality with greater confidence.”
Additionally, Corbion’s Verdad portfolio, derived from vinegar and fermentation, delivers exceptional results in mold inhibition, taste enhancement, and textural improvement. Combined with the PURAC Lactic Acid portfolio, which offers antimicrobial properties alongside a mild sour flavor, bakers now have versatile tools to extend freshness while supporting consumer-friendly ingredient lists.
Following on from past successes in creating a stable icing and glazing for donuts, this year the BENEO-Technology Center has extended concept principles to iced and glazed baked goods that contain a filling and have previously become sticky in the packaging. This is because a key issue when packaging iced or glazed baked goods with a higher water activity is that the topping can become wet and sticky and run off, resulting in an unappealing appearance and shorter shelf life. To ensure a stable topping, it is essential that the water value of both the crumb and the topping reach an equilibrium. Conventional icings or glazes, made from sucrose or fondant, often struggle to maintain this balance, particularly in baked goods with higher water activity, such as donuts or filled items like éclairs.
The team chose an iced baked good that had a vanilla-based filling as the subject of the new trials. Based on the previous glazing and icing trials, BENEO’s application experts knew that a mix of the company’s alternative sugar Palatinose (isomaltulose) and sucrose in a specific ratio in the icing could resolve the water migration issues.
The testing included evaluating both freeze/thaw and fresh performance. “BENEO’s concept for icings and glazings involves two phases: a liquid phase – where the water activity of the coating (icing/glaze) can be adjusted – and a crystalline phase – where the coating’s appearance and mouthfeel can be altered,” says Klaudia Volmer, Product Manager Functional Carbohydrates at BENEO. “To obtain optimum results for iced and filled baked goods, the trials found that while a specific combination of sucrose and Palatinose in the liquid phase ensured the coating’s stability, only Palatinose was needed in the crystalline phase to achieve a good appearance and mouthfeel.”
The end result was a shelf life extension of 6-7 days for the packaged products kept at room temperature. So, instead of the traditional 2-3 days shelf life of such baked goods, the ones in our trials with Palatinose lasted 8-10 days. Importantly, the icing and glazing also remained stable during freeze/thaw stability tests after defrosting, with no stickiness observed. This is excellent news for those producers looking to extend shelf life, reduce food waste or streamline distribution of their products.