When refrigerated, the shelf life of fresh pasta varies from 30 to 90 days. By adjusting the packaging process and adding probiotics to the dough, a group of scientists led by Francesca De Leo of Italy’s National Research Council (CNR) extended the product’s shelf life by 30 days. The tests were performed with trofie, a short, thin, twisted type of pasta. The lifespan of a batch of trofie manufactured traditionally and packaged in a modified atmosphere containing 20% carbon dioxide (CO2) and 80% nitrogen (N2) was compared with two other batches. One was produced in the same way but packaged in an experimental modified atmosphere (40% CO2 and 60% N2), and the other had added probiotic bacteria and was packaged in the experimental atmosphere. Analysis showed that the third batch had the longest shelf life, of at least 120 days when refrigerated (Frontiers in Microbiology, September 2). The method, according to the researchers, could be adopted on an industrial scale to reduce food waste during storage.
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Fresh for longer
New production and packaging strategy increases pasta’s lifespan
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