Italian scientists figured out a way to keep pasta fresh for another month
Mamma Mia! Italian scientists have found a way to keep pasta fresh for another MONTH
- Industrial pasta currently has a shelf life of 30 to 90 days.
- Scientists have developed a method by which it can last up to 120 days.
- The solution includes storing pasta in the perfect atmosphere to prevent bacterial growth and adding probiotics to the flour.
Real Italian pasta can take a lot of effort to knead, shape and cook until it’s perfect al dente.
So it’s no surprise that Italian researchers were desperate to extend its lifespan before it had to be thrown away.
From the scientific team Italy it took months to develop the perfect technique to extend the shelf life of pasta by 30 days.
The solution includes storing pasta in the perfect atmosphere to prevent bacterial growth and adding probiotics to the flour.
An Italian research team spent months developing the perfect technology to extend the shelf life of pasta by 30 days (image)
Fresh pasta that an Italian mother would cook lasts only two to three days, while industrial pasta currently has a shelf life of 30 to 90 days.
The experiment showed that the new method allows fresh pasta to be stored for up to 120 days.
The study follows previous studies by separate groups of Italian researchers that suggest that pizza may protect against illness and death, and that people’s waistlines shrink when they eat more pasta.
Dr. Francesca De Leo, co-author of the study by the National Research Council (CNR), the largest public research institution in Italy, said: “This study was carried out by pasta factories who wanted to extend the shelf life of their products, but it is also a pity that people, who buy ravioli or tortellini spoil in the refrigerator.
“Going to the supermarket for pasta takes a very long time.
“Our research can also help avoid food waste through the use of an innovative technological solution.”
The researchers, describing their work in the Frontiers in Microbiology study, say that homemade, artisan and industrial fresh pastas such as stuffed ravioli are vulnerable to bacteria.
Therefore, most fresh pasta sold today is made using a heat treatment similar to pasta pasteurization.
Pasta is stored in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) from which oxygen is removed and replaced with other gases in plastic film packaging.
Sometimes chemical preservatives are also added to prevent fresh pasta from spoiling.
The new process, which does not use artificial ingredients, changes the ratio of MAP gases and combinations of plastic films used in pasta packaging to better control bacterial growth.
Researchers say homemade, artisanal and industrial fresh pasta such as stuffed ravioli are vulnerable to bacteria (file image)
The Italian researchers also added a multi-strain probiotic blend to curb bacterial growth.
They tested their breakthrough on short, thin, twisted pasta called trophies and compared it to conventional packaging.
The combination of probiotics and the new packaging was found to help the pasta last up to 30 days longer than usual.
The study used high-tech methods such as gene sequencing to identify the bacteria.
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