Scientists Develop Sixty Day Bread 440
Hugh Pickens writes writes "BBC reports that scientists have developed a technique that can make bread stay mold-free for 60 days that could also be used with a wide range of foods including fresh turkey and many fruits and vegetables. At its laboratory on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Don Stull of Microzap showed off the long, metallic microwave device that resembles an industrial production line. Originally designed to kill bacteria such as MRSA and salmonella, the researchers discovered it could kill the mold spores in bread in around 10 seconds. 'We treated a slice of bread in the device, we then checked the mold that was in that bread over time against a control,' says Stull. 'And at 60 days it had the same mold content as it had when it came out of the oven.' Food waste is a massive problem in most developed countries. In the US, figures released this year suggest that the average American family throws away 40% of the food they purchase — which adds up to $165 Billion annually. There is some concern that consumers might not take to bread that lasts for so long and Stull acknowledges it might be difficult to convince some people of the benefits. 'We'll have to get some consumer acceptance of that. Most people do it by feel and if you still have that quality feel they probably will accept it.'"
If you want bread from today... (Score:2, Interesting)
...you have to come back tomorrow.
Real bread goes stale after 1 day (Score:1, Interesting)
I've always been very suspicions of bagged, mass-produced bread. Normal, homemade bread goes stale and hard after a day or two at most. What could they be possibly putting in there that lets it last ten days, let alone sixty?
Beat by McDonalds (Score:0, Interesting)
McDonalds have them beat by years. Their stuff does not mold. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319562/McDonalds-Happy-Meal-bought-Sally-Davies-shows-sign-mould-6-months.html
To be honest I thought their first picture was the old 6month old meal when I opened the page and was disgusted by it. Turns out it was the meal on day 1, than all that happened was the food dried out a bit.
Re:In Germany, I buy fresh bread daily ... (Score:4, Interesting)
I miss BrÃtchen. Particularly with a Rindswurst and slathered in mustard.
Or with Nutella and coffee for breakfast.
Re:Preservation has it's downside (Score:4, Interesting)
Really? Because most places here have options on the source of the tomatos, or bread.
I live in London and I am concerned about what happens to food quality when large supermarkets use certain food products as "loss leaders" until there are no alternatives in the region other than gourmet/specialty items that I really can't afford.
Re:5 years old swiss roll (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:this is great news (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:60 days! Thats nothing. (Score:4, Interesting)
Sourdough bread stays mold-free (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:this is great news (Score:4, Interesting)
Ok, keep eating that terrible bread for $0.05 cheaper because you think the invisible hand is always right.
Another straw man about Capitalism, the one about how it's only price that matters. Quality and other factors are integral to Capitalism. If your bread is of such quality that the other bread seems "terrible" in comparison and yours only cost $.05 more (in 2012 US dollars) then your bread will sell very well. The exception would be commoditized products wherein price is the prime determinant. But to be commoditized the quality has to be indistinguishable so your example doesn't work there either.
More importantly, however, is that the only alternative yet presented to "the invisible hand" is some bureaucrat(s) deciding for us. If I prefer to eat the terrible bread and spend the saved money on something else who's this guy to tell me I should prefer the other bread? Don't get me wrong, Capitalism stinks. It just stinks less than every other system implemented to date.