Preservatives

[Zoya]

Hi

I’m developing a dessert product, something between a waffle and a pancake with different sweet fillings in.
I would like the product to have at least two weeks shelf life and wonder if you know of any natural preservatives to help me achieve that (softness etc)?
I’m currently packing it in a pouch and vacuum sealing it.
thanks in advance for your time.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

First of all “shelf life” is just a catchall phrase. It is not specific. Preservatives are selected for specific performance to inhibit growth of certain microbes and spores after baking.

“Natural” is a meaningless. term in food science. Arsenic is a naturally occuring element. Natural” preservatives are not better, healthier, or superior to a synthetic preservatives. And some preservatives that are classified as synthetics, like propionate, occur naturally in fruit, cheese, and grains. So how do you define “natural”?

No one can tell you what preservative to use. Two weeks is an eternity for baked goods, especially anything with a filling. You need to work with a food lab to test for microbes for package baked goods for that long because water activity level (read federal food law) is going to come into play here. You can’t just decide you want to bake some thing, package it and sell it. The federal government has laws in place to regulate food packaged and sold to the public.

 

[Zoya]

First of all “shelf life” is just a catchall phrase. It is not specific. Preservatives are selected for specific performance to inhibit growth of certain microbes and spores after baking.

“Natural” is a meaningless. term in food science. Arsenic is a naturally occuring element. Natural” preservatives are not better, healthier, or superior to a synthetic preservatives. And some preservatives that are classified as synthetics, like propionate, occur naturally in fruit, cheese, and grains. So how do you define “natural”?

No one can tell you what preservative to use. Two weeks is an eternity for baked goods, especially anything with a filling. You need to work with a food lab to test for microbes for package baked goods for that long because water activity level (read federal food law) is going to come into play here. You can’t just decide you want to bake some thing, package it and sell it. The federal government has laws in place to regulate food packaged and sold to the public.

Thank you for you time, appreciate it

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Thank you for you time, appreciate it

I don’t mean to sound harsh, but when you sell food to the public, there are laws that govern how food is packaged and preserved. We don’t always get to choose what we want to use as a preservative because what we want and what works to keep the microbes from growing and making people sick are two different things. The law also regulates what you can manufacture in a home kitchen. Some fillings cannot produced in a home kitchen and sold to the public because of the water activity is too high. And when the water activity level reaches a certain level, not only must it be produced in a commercial kitchen, but there are regulations for packaging and storage.

If there is any question about the water activity level of your fillings, then you can have a food lab test it at your expense. Then you can submit those results to your county health department for consideration to produce your product in your home kitchen. But either way, you need to know the water activity level in you fillings before you can begin to research the proper preservatives for your products.

 

[Zoya]

I don’t mean to sound harsh, but when you sell food to the public, there are laws that govern how food is packaged and preserved. We don’t always get to choose what we want to use as a preservative because what we want and what works to keep the microbes from growing and making people sick are two different things. The law also regulates what you can manufacture in a home kitchen. Some fillings cannot produced in a home kitchen and sold to the public because of the water activity is too high. And when the water activity level reaches a certain level, not only must it be produced in a commercial kitchen, but there are regulations for packaging and storage.

If there is any question about the water activity level of your fillings, then you can have a food lab test it at your expense. Then you can submit those results to your county health department for consideration to produce your product in your home kitchen. But either way, you need to know the water activity level in you fillings before you can begin to research the proper preservatives for your products.

I didn’t take your words harshly at all, you are right.
I was thinking to get the recipe ready, pass the shelf life and then send to a lab to double check. However, my thinking was wrong. I really don’t know much about preservatives. As for the fillings, I buy all ready, but again, I can now see your point.
thanks again