Bakery Products

Food items: Bagels, Bread Puddings, Breads, Buns, Cheesecakes, Crépes, Croissants, Crumpets, Danish Pastries, Fruit Breads, Fruit Cakes, Fruit Pies, Fruit Strudels, Fruit Tarts, Meringue Cakes, Muffins, Nan Bread, Nut Breads, Pancakes, Par-Baked Breads, Pitta Bread, Pizza Bases, Pretzels, Sponge Layer Cakes, Swiss Rolls, Taco Shells, Tortillas, Vegetable Breads, Waffles, other items

Recommended gas mixture 
30-100% CO2
0-70% N2

The gases and mixtures listed above are for general guidance. To identify the optimum gas for your product and process, we recommend you undertake a product trial, with the help of an Air Products MAP gas specialist. 

Storage temperature
Chilled foods legal maximum*: 8° C
Recommended: 0° C to +5° C

Achievable shelf-life
In air: 0-14 days 
In MAP: 4-12 weeks

Principle spoilage organisms and mechanics
Yeasts, Moulds staling, Physical separation, Moisture migration.

Food poisoning hazards include
Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus species

Typical MAP machines
Retail
• TFFS – Thermoform-fill-seal
• PTLF – Preformed tray and lidding film 
• HFFS – Horizontal form-fill-seal

Typical types of package
Retail: Tray and lidding film, Tray inside pillow pack, pillow pack 

Examples of typical MAP materials
Retail
Tray: 
• UPVC/PE
• HDPE 
• EPS/EVOH/PE

Lidding and/or pillow pack film:
• PET/PVdC/PE
• PA/PVdC/PE
• PC/EVOH/EVA
• MPET
• MOPP
• OPP/PVdC

The principal spoilage mechanisms for non-dairy bakery products are mould growth, staling, and moisture migration. Yeasts may cause a problem in certain filled or iced products. Since the aw of non-dairy bakery products is generally less than 0.96, bacterial growth is inhibited and rarely a problem. However, it is possible that Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus species may be able to grow in certain products and hence pose a potential food poisoning hazard. Consequently, good hygiene and handling practices must be observed throughout.

The use of MAP can significantly extend the shelf-lives of non-dairy bakery products. Since moulds are aerobic micro-organisms, they are very effectively inhibited by CO2/N2 gas mixtures. A gas/product ratio of 2:1 is often used. Moisture migration from the pack is prevented by using barrier materials for MAP. MAP appears to have little effect on the rate of staling. It should be noted that staling rates are increased at chilled temperatures and hence most cold-eating bakery products are normally stored at ambient temperatures. For hot-eating bakery products, such as pizza bases, the staling process, which is caused by starch retrogradation, is partially reversed during the reheating cycle.

* The Food Safety (Temperature Control) regulations 1995 states that the maximum Storage temperature for chilled perishable foods is 8°C. There will be flexibility to vary this when scientifically justified. For legal temperature storage requirements, please contact the Campden BRI.