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Preserving bread longer: A new edible film made with essential oils

Date:
June 4, 2014
Source:
American Chemical Society
Summary:
Essential oils have boomed in popularity as more people seek out alternatives to replace their synthetic cleaning products, anti-mosquito sprays and medicines. Now scientists are tapping them as candidates to preserve food in a more consumer-friendly way. They have developed new edible films containing oils from clove and oregano that preserve bread longer than commercial additives.
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Essential oils have boomed in popularity as more people seek out alternatives to replace their synthetic cleaning products, anti-mosquito sprays and medicines. Now scientists are tapping them as candidates to preserve food in a more consumer-friendly way. A study from ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reports the development of new edible films containing oils from clove and oregano that preserve bread longer than commercial additives.

Nilda de F. F. Soares and colleagues note that the search for new ways to keep packaged food from spoiling has led some scientists to essential oils, which can keep bacteria and mold at bay. Oils from clove and oregano had already been incorporated into edible films. But scientists still needed to optimize the effectiveness of these films and test them under real-life conditions for other uses. So Soares's team decided to test how well different edible films with clove and oregano essential oils could maintain bread's freshness and see how they measured up against a commercial antimicrobial agent. Bread is a common staple around the world and is often kept fresh with calcium propionate. Though naturally occurring, some research suggesting negative side effects have tarnished its popularity.

The scientists bought preservative-free bread and placed slices in plastic bags with or without essential oil-infused edible films. To some slices, they added a commercial preservative containing calcium propionate. After 10 days, the latter additive lost its effectiveness, but the edible films made with small droplets of the oils continued to slow mold growth.


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Materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Caio G. Otoni, Silvania F. O. Pontes, Eber A. A. Medeiros, Nilda de F. F. Soares. Edible Films from Methylcellulose and Nanoemulsions of Clove Bud (Syzygium aromaticum) and Oregano (Origanum vulgare) Essential Oils as Shelf Life Extenders for Sliced Bread. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2014; 62 (22): 5214 DOI: 10.1021/jf501055f

Cite This Page:

American Chemical Society. "Preserving bread longer: A new edible film made with essential oils." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 June 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140604105441.htm>.
American Chemical Society. (2014, June 4). Preserving bread longer: A new edible film made with essential oils. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140604105441.htm
American Chemical Society. "Preserving bread longer: A new edible film made with essential oils." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140604105441.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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