There are more than 300 specific forms of pasta in Italy. There is a 55 year old "pasta law" that governs production. That doesn't mean the staple isn't being innovated.
Italian researchers have come up with a new process for extending the shelf life of fresh pasta by 30 days, using a novel packaging process that also involves applying bio protective cultures to the dough. There is a new recipe for fresh pasta in the journal.
Fresh pasta has a problem.
Pasteurization for pasta is the equivalent of heat-treating the product, which is how most fresh pasta is produced. After the pasta is ready, it is stored in something called modified atmosphere packaging, which involves removing oxygen and replacing it with other gases in a package consisting of plastic film.
Fresh pasta can be kept refrigerated for up to 90 days. There are a lot of things that can go wrong and compromise the quality of the product. Somebacteria can grow under the right conditions.
Preservatives are sometimes used to help keep freshness. For consumers who prefer natural, "clean label" products without artificial or synthetic ingredients, the options are limited.
A new way of storing pasta is being mapped out.
The National Research Council, the largest public research institution in Italy, collaborated with the University of Bari Aldo Moro and the Food Safety Lab to develop a new method to minimize spoilage. The ratio of MAP gases and combination of plastic films used in the packaging was changed first. They added a multi-strain mixture to stop the growth ofbacteria
The scientists used a pasta type called trofie to test the new protocol. There was one set of fresh pasta. The second set was stored in the experiment. The third set of fresh trofie was stored in the experimental packaging.
Scientists were waiting.
The best shelf life of the three experiments was found when they used high-tech methods to identify volatile organic compounds.
The results show that the MAP, along with a spray-dried probiotic bioprotective cultures, acted in a synergistic way to control the spoilage of fresh pasta.
Food waste is fought.
Adding 30 days of shelf life to conventional products is possible thanks to the technique developed by her team.
The long shelf life and ease of storage are advantages of this product. Consumers tend to reduce the number of times they buy food, and thus store more at home.
She said that the research helps reduce food waste by finding a better way to store pasta. According to the World Food Program, a third of the food produced each year is wasted before it can be eaten.
The impact of food waste and loss on the environment has been noted. If companies are willing to accept the challenge and innovate, innovative technological solutions for food waste prevention can help offset these problems.
The extension of the shelf-life of fresh pasta using modified atmosphere packaging and bio protective cultures is discussed in a paper. 10.389/fmicb.
Journal information: Frontiers in Microbiology
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