Traditional amylase-based enzymes have long aided in extending the shelf life and freshness of bakery snacks. However, their effectiveness diminishes in doughs with high sugar content. Kerry’s anti-staling enzyme, Biobake Fresh Rich, addresses this issue by maintaining freshness and moisture in doughs with more than 20% sugar, thereby reducing food waste and extending the shelf life of bakery products.
Enhancing Freshness in Sweet Baked Goods
Deborah Waters, product director for enzymes at Kerry Group, shared insights from Kerry’s sensory trials on sponge cake shelf life with FoodNavigator-USA. She explained that Biobake acts as an “anti-staling, fresh-keeping enzyme,” enhancing the sensory properties of sweet baked goods while prolonging their shelf life. This improvement is crucial as consumers increasingly seek fresher, longer-lasting bakery snacks that can double as meals.
Consumer Demand for Longer-Lasting Snacks
As inflation drives up food prices, consumers are looking for value and quality in products that can reduce the frequency of grocery shopping trips and prevent food waste. Baked goods are the largest category of food waste globally, according to Waters. Biobake’s ability to extend shelf life helps brands enhance their sustainability efforts, addressing consumer concerns about environmental sustainability. Data from the World Food Programme highlights that approximately 33% of food globally is wasted or lost, stressing the need for significant changes in the supply chain.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly important to consumers, who are seeking to make purchases that have a meaningful impact beyond the transaction itself. According to Mintel’s report, “A Year of Innovation in Cakes,” North American sweet bakery brands are responding to this growing consumer engagement with ethical concerns by emphasizing sustainability and humanitarian initiatives.
Reducing Food Waste
Kerry’s global food waste study, “Left on the Shelf,” revealed that 97% of North American consumers are actively trying to reduce food waste, with 72% believing that improving shelf life will help minimize food waste. Additionally, one-third of consumers are willing to switch to products with a longer shelf life. Waters elaborated that maintaining product quality over an extended shelf life can contribute to a more sustainable future by reducing bakery product waste, which negatively impacts the planet and incurs significant economic loss for both manufacturers and consumers.
Ideal Applications for Biobake
Biobake excels in high sugar formulations, such as muffins, sponge cakes, cupcakes, pound cakes, high ratio cakes, brioche, enriched bread, pancakes, and scones, as well as vegan bakery snacks. However, it is not suitable for gluten-free products. While traditional enzymes have been used to slow down the staling process, they are less effective in high sugar doughs. Biobake addresses this gap by delaying the staling process of starch in bakery snacks with more than 20% sugar.
Addressing the Staling Process
Waters explained that the typical staling process in bakery products occurs because starch undergoes retrogradation and subsequent moisture loss over time, leading to dryness, crumbliness, and staling. In high sucrose dough environments, traditional amylase-based enzymes used for fresh-keeping in enriched dough are less effective. A higher rate of these enzymes is required to optimize their activity, which Biobake efficiently achieves.
Biobake Fresh Rich by Kerry Group represents a significant advancement in extending the shelf life of high sugar bakery products. By maintaining freshness and moisture, it helps reduce food waste and supports sustainability efforts. As consumer demand for longer-lasting, quality bakery snacks continues to grow, innovations like Biobake will play a crucial role in meeting these needs while promoting environmental responsibility.