The effect of ethanol and oxygen absorption on the shelf-life of packed sliced rye bread

The effect of ethanol emitters, 1% (v/v) ethanol‐containing gases and oxygen absorbers on the shelf‐life of whole grain rye bread was investigated in two 6 week storage experiments. The bread slices (215 g) were packed in 500 ml plastic containers with headspace volumes of 240 ml. The biggest ethanol emitters (2 and 3 G) extended the microbial shelf‐life of rye bread from 8–12 to 26–27 days in the two experiments, and oxygen absorbers correspondingly to the end of the storage period (42 days). Small ethanol emitters (0.6 and 1 G) and 1% (v/v) ethanol‐containing gases had no influence on the microbial shelf‐life. Ethanol and oxygen absorbers had no effect on changes in texture and moisture during storage. The overall sensory quality of the samples without microbial growth was evaluated as rather good at the end of the storage period. The flavour of ethanol was discovered not to prevent the use of ethanol for the preservation of bread, since ethanol was detected only a few times in the panellist sensory evaluation.