I have a baked product which is composed of dried fruits with added oil,
wine, and water. This is all encased in a pastry wrap. Moisture content is
over 15% by a bit. Without refrigeration, not surprisingly when packaged in
plastic, we get mold.

Is there a specific type or family of preservatives that we could consider?

I'd like to keep this product as "Natural" as possible but do value
un-refrigerated shelf life.

Can anyone help?

Thanks!

RC wrote:

> I have a baked product which is composed of dried fruits with added oil,
> wine, and water. This is all encased in a pastry wrap. Moisture content is
> over 15% by a bit. Without refrigeration, not surprisingly when packaged in
> plastic, we get mold.
>
> Is there a specific type or family of preservatives that we could consider?
>
> I'd like to keep this product as "Natural" as possible but do value
> un-refrigerated shelf life.
>
> Can anyone help?
>
> Thanks!
>
>

Irradiation should work...

Best regards,
Bob

On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 12:13:44 -0500, zxcvbob >
wrote:

>RC wrote:
>> Is there a specific type or family of preservatives that we could consider?
>>
>> I'd like to keep this product as "Natural" as possible but do value
>> un-refrigerated shelf life.
>>
>Irradiation should work...
>
>Best regards,
>Bob

This is used on many more foods than you might think. Before anyone
gets worked up, the food is never radioactive. Just handle it as
cleanly as possible, package it properly, then pass it through a
chamber with a radiation source for a set amount of time.

As always, concern about any dangers from this treatment, needs to be
balanced with concern about illnesses resulting from not properly
removing microorganisms, and that of any chemical treatments.

Many single use medical devices get rad sterilization as well. Fewer
side issues than with other methods.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

here's something to try. put in plastic bag. suck out air by inhaling
through straw. shoot in some propane. I bought a tank and nozzle for $10
earlier this year, not for preserving in the abscence of air, but for
plumbing renovations. I think I'd let it air out a few minutes before
putting the oven to reheat. I've never heard of preserving food this way
so you'd be breaking new ground.

"RC" ) writes:
> I have a baked product which is composed of dried fruits with added oil,
> wine, and water. This is all encased in a pastry wrap. Moisture content is
> over 15% by a bit. Without refrigeration, not surprisingly when packaged in
> plastic, we get mold.
>
> Is there a specific type or family of preservatives that we could consider?
>
> I'd like to keep this product as "Natural" as possible but do value
> un-refrigerated shelf life.
>
> Can anyone help?
>
> Thanks!
>
>


--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community network
homepage: www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm
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here's something to try. put in plastic bag. suck out air by inhaling
through straw. shoot in some propane. I bought a tank and nozzle for $10
earlier this year, not for preserving in the abscence of air, but for
plumbing renovations. I think I'd let it air out a few minutes before
putting the oven to reheat. I've never heard of preserving food this way
so you'd be breaking new ground.

"RC" ) writes:
> I have a baked product which is composed of dried fruits with added oil,
> wine, and water. This is all encased in a pastry wrap. Moisture content is
> over 15% by a bit. Without refrigeration, not surprisingly when packaged in
> plastic, we get mold.
>
> Is there a specific type or family of preservatives that we could consider?
>
> I'd like to keep this product as "Natural" as possible but do value
> un-refrigerated shelf life.
>
> Can anyone help?
>
> Thanks!
>
>


--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community network
homepage: www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm
warning: non-FreeNet email must have "notspam" in subject or it's returned

"William R. Watt" > wrote in message
...
"so you'd be breaking new ground. "

CO2 can be used like you're describing. There are easier ways to put it
in the bags before you seal though. Look into injection vac sealers. I
think CO2 might still qualify as natural.
>
> "RC" ) writes:
> > I have a baked product which is composed of dried fruits with added oil,
> > wine, and water. This is all encased in a pastry wrap. Moisture
content is
> > over 15% by a bit. Without refrigeration, not surprisingly when
packaged in
> > plastic, we get mold.
> >
> > Is there a specific type or family of preservatives that we could
consider?
> >
> > I'd like to keep this product as "Natural" as possible but do value
> > un-refrigerated shelf life.
> >
> > Can anyone help?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
> William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community
network
> homepage: www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm
> warning: non-FreeNet email must have "notspam" in subject or it's returned

On 22 Aug 2004 17:38:01 GMT, (William R.
Watt) wrote:

>here's something to try. put in plastic bag. suck out air by inhaling
>through straw. shoot in some propane. I bought a tank and nozzle for $10
>earlier this year, not for preserving in the abscence of air, but for
>plumbing renovations. I think I'd let it air out a few minutes before
>putting the oven to reheat. I've never heard of preserving food this way
>so you'd be breaking new ground.
>
So your recommendation is to do something extremely dangerous, likely
to burn or explode if it does work to fill the container, and you have
no idea if it works?

It would also make their food product need flammable labeling, special
shipping, etc.

Advice should come from your knowledge and experience and judgement,
not random thoughts.

Vacuum sealing using a food grade vacuum system, like the Tilia sealer
could do the job.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

RC wrote:

> I have a baked product which is composed of dried fruits with added oil,
> wine, and water. This is all encased in a pastry wrap. Moisture content is
> over 15% by a bit. Without refrigeration, not surprisingly when packaged in
> plastic, we get mold.
>
> Is there a specific type or family of preservatives that we could consider?
>
> I'd like to keep this product as "Natural" as possible but do value
> un-refrigerated shelf life.
>
> Can anyone help?

There are several avenues you may want to look at, depending on
volume, the nature of the product, distribution and a few other factors.

One is inert gas packaging where an inert gas is pumped into the
package and it's then sealed. Another is adding spoilage retardant
chemicals like propionates or benzoates to the pastry. In any case,
this is a job for a professional lab to advise you on. The specific
ingredients and their balance will suggest some preservatives over others.

I assume you're selling the pastries. You have local, state and
federal regulations to conform to, so I'd start looking there. Health
department and FDA are your new best friends. You don't want to run
afoul of them. Trust me.

Pastorio

In article >, "RC"
> wrote:

> I have a baked product which is composed of dried fruits with added
> oil, wine, and water. This is all encased in a pastry wrap.
> Moisture content is over 15% by a bit. Without refrigeration, not
> surprisingly when packaged in plastic, we get mold.
>
> Is there a specific type or family of preservatives that we could
> consider?
>
> I'd like to keep this product as "Natural" as possible but do value
> un-refrigerated shelf life.
>
> Can anyone help?
>
> Thanks!

>
>

Try sci.bio.food-science.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> An update on 7/22/04.