UK company TasteTech claims to have come up with a cost-saving method to keep bread fresh and mould-free for a couple of weeks.
TasteTech has developed a controlled release microencapsulated sorbic acid, which, it claims, is proving to be an 'ideal replacement for calcium propionate, the commonly used mould inhibitor'.
'Prices for calcium propionate have risen sharply in recent months, due to increased demand causing global shortages. Additionally, a degree of controversy has arisen around the use of calcium propionate following recent findings published in the Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health,' writes the company this week in a statement.
Sorbic acid can not generally be used as a suitable alternative as it destroys yeast, but TasteTech claims to have developed a way to overcome this problem through its CR technology. The process works by coating the sorbic acid within an invisible microfilm of vegetable fat to create a free flowing powder that can easily be blended with dry ingredients prior to baking.
A 'controlled release' mechanism ensures the sorbic acid is not released from its encapsulate until the bread is baked past 60ºC, after the yeast has finished working.