Bread spoilage and staling

Abstract

Bread is the most important staple food in the Western world and it is recognized as a perishable commodity, which is at its best when consumed 'fresh'. Unfortunately, bread remains truly 'fresh' for only a few hours after it leaves the oven. During storage it is subjected to a number of changes which lead to the loss of its organoleptic freshness. The factors that govern the rate of freshness loss in bread during storage are mainly divided into two groups: those attributed to microbial attack and those that are result of a series of slow chemical or physical changes which lead to the progressive firming up of the crumb, commonly referred to as 'staling'. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.