The end of mouldy bread? Edible film made with oils could extend the life of an everyday loaf by more than two weeks
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Essential oils from cloves and oregano could be used to prolong the life of bread (stock image)
They are common in aromatherapy products and alternative cleaning fluids, but now essential oils from plants could also be used to prolong the life of bread.
Scientists have developed new edible films, containing oils from clove and oregano, that preserve the humble loaf longer than commercial compounds.
Essential oils are natural compounds that keep bacteria and mould at bay, according to a study published in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Nilda de F. F. Soares and her team from the Federal University of Viçosa in Brazil, set out to test how well different edible films with these essential oils could maintain bread's freshness.
To do this they took the essential oils - Syzygium aromaticum from clove and Origanum vulgare from oregano - and incorporated them as emulsions into water-soluble polymers to make their antimicrobial film.
A chemical compound called methylcellulose was added for film-forming purposes.
They wanted to study how they measured up against a commercial synthetic antimicrobial agent, which also prevents the growth of bacteria and mould.
Bread is a common staple around the world and is often kept fresh with calcium propionate.
Though naturally occurring, some research has suggested the ingredient has negative side effects, which have tarnished its popularity, leading experts to look for alternatives.
Researchers discovered that films made with clove (left) and oregano (right) essential oils can maintain bread's freshness and reduce the amount of mould and yeast that gathers on bread over 15 days
The scientists bought preservative-free bread and placed slices in plastic bags with and without essential oil-infused edible films. To some slices, they added a commercial preservative containing calcium propionate.
After 10 days, the calcium propionate additive lost its effectiveness, but the edible films made with small droplets of the oils continue to slow mould growth.
The experts found that both essential oils reduced the counts of yeast and moulds growing on the slices of bread over 15 days. Finer droplets of the oil increased the effectiveness of the film's antimicrobial properties.
Scientists say toast falls butter side down because it only has time to rotate half a somersault before landing
AND SCIENTISTS HAVE FOUND WHY TOAST FALLS BUTTER SIDE DOWN
Last year scientists claimed to have solved the mystery of why a piece of toast always seems to fall buttered side down.
They said that it is to do with the height of the table so that if a slice of bread topples off the edge, it only has time to perform a half-somersault before it hits the floor.
As the side which has been buttered is naturally facing upwards, that's the side which ends up on the floor.
To confirm the theory, food expert Professor Chris Smith and his team dropped 100 slices of toast from a table at Manchester MET University.
In 81 per cent of cases, the buttered side made contact with the floor.
'Our research shows that Sod's Law really does exist when it comes to dropped toast,' Professor Smith said.
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