Bread - Preservatives - Mold????

farmers_daughter

Ok, question in the lunch room sparked a question for everyone because Google isn't being very helpful.

The following conversation was held:

"That bread has mold on it"
"That means it's good bread, it doesn't have any preservatives in it"
"Ya"
Me: "ok, so my 100% Whole Wheat Sara Lee Bread, has been on the counter for forever and a day.....it hasn't molded, isn't whole wheat bread supposed to be better for you?"

And yes, I'm 100% it was Whole Wheat, I promise the price reminded me of that.

So....does this hold truth, mold "able" bread has not preservatives, and if that's the case is it necessarily better....then how do you explain my whole wheat bread?

Thanks!

misty589

the fact that it's whole wheat has no effect on whether or not it will mold. Most commercial breads are full of preservatives that keep them from molding. If you make your own bread, or buy bread without preservatives it will mold in a couple of days. Ideally you would have whole grain bread with no preservatives, but they are 2 very separate qualities

c7eat2live

read the ingredients on the back of the Sarah Lee package, that should give you some idea of why its not moldy. My roommate had some on the counter for like 3 months and it didnt mold. ACK! gross! Honestly theres not much "whole" about that "whole wheat bread" you might as well eat white, at least it has less caramel coloring.


edited for ingredients:
Water, Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Cottonseed Fiber, Yeast, Brown Sugar, Contains 2% or Less of Each of the Following Salt, Vegetable Oil (Soybean Oil, and/or Cottonseed Oil), Yeast Nutrients (Monocalcium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Ammonium Sulfate), Dough Conditioners (May Contain One or More of the Following Mono and Diglycerides, Ethoxylated Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Calcium Peroxide), Honey, Wheat Bran, Wheat Protein Isolate, Sulfiting Agents, Vinegar, Natural Flavor, Soy Lecithin, Guar Gum, Sucralose, Cornstarch, L-Cysteine, Sorbic Acid, and Calcium Propionate (Preservatives).

katkins3

My brother has a saying, "If mold won't grow on it, neither will you".
I notice I can leave Pepperidge Farm bread out for weeks and no mold, but if I leave out a loaf from our local bakery for about 3 days its already turning blue. So, I get bread from the bakery now. They have artisan flavors like Spinach feta sour dough and apricot brioche.
Maybe Whole Foods or Trader Joe's have breads with no preservatives.

Ge0rgiana

I buy sprouted grain bread. It's kept in the freezer section in the grocery store. At home, I keep it in the fridge. Stays good for a long while.

c7eat2live

^this. and if you buy Ezekiel bread you get the added benefit of protein too, and very yummy

Ezekiel ingredients:*Organic Sprouted Wheat, *Organic Sprouted Barley, *Organic Sprouted Millet, Malted Barley, *Organic Sprouted Lentils, *Organic Sprouted Soybeans, *Organic Spelt, Filtered Water, Fresh Yeast, Sea Salt. *
(http://mybloodsugar.net/foodforlife.htm)

melsinct

read the ingredients on the back of the Sarah Lee package, that should give you some idea of why its not moldy. My roommate had some on the counter for like 3 months and it didnt mold. ACK! gross! Honestly theres not much "whole" about that "whole wheat bread" you might as well eat white, at least it has less caramel coloring.


edited for ingredients:
Water, Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Cottonseed Fiber, Yeast, Brown Sugar, Contains 2% or Less of Each of the Following Salt, Vegetable Oil (Soybean Oil, and/or Cottonseed Oil), Yeast Nutrients (Monocalcium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Ammonium Sulfate), Dough Conditioners (May Contain One or More of the Following Mono and Diglycerides, Ethoxylated Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Calcium Peroxide), Honey, Wheat Bran, Wheat Protein Isolate, Sulfiting Agents, Vinegar, Natural Flavor, Soy Lecithin, Guar Gum, Sucralose, Cornstarch, L-Cysteine, Sorbic Acid, and Calcium Propionate (Preservatives).

Very good point. I often make my own bread. Ingredients: flour, grains, yeast, honey, water, salt. That's it. That being said, I keep my homemade stuff in the fridge, never on the counter, since it can and will mold quickly. It lasts for well over a week (if we don't eat it by then).

farmers_daughter

So....with that said, in everybody's opinion what's the best bread to buy, or the key ingredients I should look for, (I feel like an idiot asking that)
It' can't be anything too exotic, because my kiddos will use it for their PB and J too.

I'll go back to the one post and look at it again, but just asking.

c7eat2live

like I posted I eat Ezekiel when I eat bread. And I have given it to kids too, honestly after a little initial complaining, after getting over the "newness" they liked it. The LOVE the cinnamon raisin version. The extra texture is really the main thing, and lack of sugar, but it freezes really well and lasts forever.

Edit: you can find it at pretty much any health food store

Ge0rgiana

like I posted I eat Ezekiel when I eat bread. And I have given it to kids too, honestly after a little initial complaining, after getting over the "newness" they liked it. The LOVE the cinnamon raisin version. The extra texture is really the main thing, and lack of sugar, but it freezes really well and lasts forever.

Edit: you can find it at pretty much any health food store

^^ Yep. Me, too. It's so much more wholesome and better for you. I have a weakness for those round sandwich thins, I must confess. :blushing: Based on chemicals and such, I could not recommend them when there's Ezekiel.

questionablemethods

So....with that said, in everybody's opinion what's the best bread to buy, or the key ingredients I should look for, (I feel like an idiot asking that)
It' can't be anything too exotic, because my kiddos will use it for their PB and J too.

I'll go back to the one post and look at it again, but just asking.

Instead of looking for key ingredients, maybe look for fewer ingredients. I have enjoyed Ezekiel but also, if your grocery store has a bakery, check out the bread they make in house. The last time I looked at my store, a good size loaf of sourdough bread wasn't any more expensive than the commercial stuff.

By the way, I love Dave Ramsey!

TeaBea

So....with that said, in everybody's opinion what's the best bread to buy, or the key ingredients I should look for, (I feel like an idiot asking that)
It' can't be anything too exotic, because my kiddos will use it for their PB and J too.

I'll go back to the one post and look at it again, but just asking.

Look for something with the fewest ingredients possible. Whole grains are so much better for you in terms of protien and fiber.

As far as Ezekiel (OMG!) be prepared for sticker shock. I didn't think it was even possible for bread to be that expensive.

wolfchild59

I stopped buying Sara Lee after I read the ingredients after seeing it hadn't molded and it had been on my counter for WAY too long. Trader Joe's has some great sprouted breads that are only around $3 a loaf and super tasty.

If you need something more kid friendly though, try the Smart Wheat or Smart White Wonder Bread. Still processed, but less scary than the Sara Lee ingredient list. And trust me, it molds. I actually stopped buying it for the hubby for awhile because he wasn't eating it fast enough and I was getting tired of throwing out half (or more) loaves of bread. I actually wrapped up and froze my loaf of TJ's bread and have been eating the most recent loaf of Smart Wheat so it didn't go to waste cuz he started back at rehearsals full-time before the loaf barely got started. (so I can attest to a very kid friendly taste/texture)

portland454

I was wondering about the lack of mold too and did a little research. It appears that calcium propionate is the preservative that prohibits the mold growth. if you do a search on it, you will find it's not a big bad thing other than some people report having a sensitivity to it. The sensitivities are migraines and stomach upset. However, this is anecdotal and infrequent. So, if you think you might be having these symptoms from bread with calcium propionate, try switching to a brand without it and see what happens. Cheers!