Shelf Life 2: The internal factors

In the previous part in the series about Shelf Life, all possible microbiological types of spoilage that can occur in bakery products were discussed. Moulds and bacteria were the biggest concern for the bakery industry and in a lesser extent yeasts. Rhizopus species, Penicillium species and Aspergillus species are moulds that are the most prevalent and can produce mycotoxins such as aflatoxins. Bacteria that create the most problems in bakery products are Bacillus species, which can cause ‘ropy’ bread and furthermore Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella outbreaks are worth mentioning.