THE EFFECTS OF

STORAGE TEMPERATURE
ON BREAD TEXTURE

Carissa McEwan, Sophia Quintero, Alex Rios, Kim Schott

Abstract:
The goal of this research was to determine the effects of storage temperature on the
texture of bread. The duration of this study was 2 weeks. Two loaves of whole grain Ezekiel
bread containing no preservatives were used. One loaf of bread was stored in the freezer and
the other loaf of bread was stored at room temperature. Ninety six samples in total, 48 frozen
and 48 fresh samples, were measured for firmness using the TA.XT Plus texture analyzer by
NUTR 405 Food and Nutrition students in the PFSA building room 416 at San Diego State
University. It was believed that freezing the bread would maintain the firmness more
consistently throughout the 2 week period, as compared to the room temperature bread whose
firmness was believed would increase. Data was collected and recorded, and statistical
analysis was done using the Exponent program and Microsoft Excel. The frozen bread had an
average firmness of 474.16g while the room temperature bread had a firmness of 383.14g.
These results indicate that although freezing bread may increase shelf life, it also increases the
firmness. Standard deviation of frozen and room temperature bread was determined to be
219.53 and 183.84 respectively. This showed that there was medium variability in the data
obtained. Coefficient of variance(CV) was also calculated for frozen (46.3 %) and room
temperature (47.98%). The data does not fall within the 5th percentile, therefore it is not
precise. It is recommended that further analysis be done using stricter parameters to ensure
accurate and reliable results.
Introduction:
Many countries throughout the world have become more health conscious. The

Nielsen Group (2014) Global Health and Wellness Survey was conducted in 60 nations and it

surveyed a sample size of 30,000 participants. The study showed that forty-one percent of this

population were more willing to purchase healthier products compared to the thirty-two

percent of the millennials ages 21-34 and the 21 percent of the baby boomers population ages

50-64 years. This survey also found that 80 percent of the sample population utilizes food in

some way to control medical issues and chronic disease (Nielsen Group 2014). With people

concerned about their health and purchasing products that are limited with preservatives and

modifications, it is important to preserve the quality and shelf life of products. Bread is a

primary staple in the American diet that provides many vital nutrients. This study uses Ezekiel

bread with no preservatives and its purpose was to determine if freezing the loaf of bread has

an effect on the texture resulting in a lower quality to consumers.

The texture of bread after freezing has been observed in food science and technology.

According to the “Handbook of Food Science, Technology, and Engineering, Volume 2” the

flavor and texture of bread deteriorates quickly, and it would be beneficial to develop a

processing system to extend the shelf life (Hui 2006). A technique that has some success in

preserving the quality of bread is freezing. Freezing retards staling processes, but it can

negatively affect the texture (Hui 2006). Freezing can cause bread to lose moisture resulting in

a dry, firm texture. Proper thawing of bread is also important to limit firming and loss of

moisture (Hui 2006). Temperature fluctuations in frozen storage are particularly detrimental to

the textural quality of other frozen foods as well.

Similar studies have been conducted to determine the effects of freezing on the texture of food

items. According to Journal of Food Science article “Pecan Texture as Affected by Freezing

Rates, Storage Temperature, and Thawing Rates”, the texture of pecan is affected by freezing

and thawing rates (Morales 1999). This study is an example of how freezing can affect the

texture of different food products. Texture affects many parameters of a foods integrity. An

alteration in texture can create an inconsistent taste, mouthfeel, and altered perception of a

product.

Methods:

This study was conducted over a two – week period that consisted of a total of 4 trials.

Two loaves of the same type of bread were purchased, in this case, Ezekiel bread. One loaf

was stored in the freezer and the other one was stored at room temperature. In addition to the

two loaves of bread, a bread knife and a cutting board were needed and TA. XT Plus Texture

analyzer was used to calculate firmness of bread.

Trial one took place on October 10​th​, 2016. Three slices of the frozen bread were

removed from the freezer and each slice was placed on a small paper plate and covered with a

paper towel. This bread was left out on the counter to thaw while the rest of the trial went on.

Three slices of the room temperature bread were removed from the center of the loaf

(avoiding the heels). Using a bread knife the crust was removed, and each slice was cut into

quarters. This made a total of 12 samples of fresh bread to be measured for firmness. The first

sample was placed under the probe on the TA.XT Plus texture analyzer, ensuring each edge of

the probe would land on the bread. The machine was calibrated and the first sample was run
following the operating procedures for the TA.XT Plus (See Appendix 1). Data was recorded

in the Exponent program as well as on spreadsheets (See Appendix 2). The additional 11 fresh

samples were measured in the same way, and data was recorded.

The recently thawed slices of bread were then individually de-crusted and cut into

quarters. Samples one through twelve of the frozen bread were measured utilizing the same

procedure as for the fresh samples, and data was recorded. Trial 2 was conducted on October

12​th​, 2016 and both trials 3 and 4 were conducted on October 19​th​, 2016 due to spoilage of the

room temperature bread. Each trial used 6 slices of bread (3 frozen, 3 fresh). This gave data

for 24 samples for each trial (12 of the frozen samples, and 12 of the fresh samples). A total

of ninety – six compression trials were conducted over the 2 – week period.

After samples were compression tested for firmness, means, standard deviation and

coefficient of error for all 4 trials consisting of 96 samples, were calculated using “Exponent

Program” and Microsoft Excel. The statistical data was used to determine which temperature

maintains the texture of the bread more consistently. In addition, spreadsheets were also used

to manually record data in case of any accidental deletion of statistical data in the “TA.XT

Plus Analyzer” program.

Results:

For Graph 1 above, the average of all 48 samples in each category was calculated.

Frozen bread had an average 474.16g of firmness while room temperature bread had an

average of 383.14g of firmness

The graph above plots the average firmness of each trial ad shows the change in

firmness over time of frozen and room temperature bread. During trial 1 frozen bread had an

average firmness of 523.17g and room temperature had an average firmness of 410.15g. For

trial 2 frozen bread had an average firmness of 431.02g and room temperature bread had an

average firmness of 335.27g. Trial 3 consisted of 24 samples instead of 12 like the two
previous trials, frozen bread had an average firmness of 471.22g and the room temperature

bread had an average firmness of 380.27.

Graph 3 shows a medium distribution of the frozen and room temperature samples.

Discussion/Conclusion:
The frozen bread texture was affected most by freezing when compared to the room

temperature bread samples. The coefficient of variance for the room temperature Ezekiel

bread was 47.98 grams, while the coefficient of variance for the frozen Ezekiel bread was 46.3

grams. In order for data to be considered precise the coefficient of variance must be less than

5. Since the coefficient of variance for both the frozen and room temperature Ezekiel bread

was greater than 5, this determines that the data is variable in relation to the average of both

frozen and room temperature Ezekiel bread samples. Furthermore, according to graph 3 the

distribution curve of the data displayed medium variability. The data was relatively consistent

at producing similar results through each trial. However, in measuring the average degree of

firmness in grams according to graph 1, frozen Ezekiel bread did show an altered texture. The
frozen Ezekiel bread had an average firmness of 474.16 grams compared to the room

temperature Ezekiel bread’s average firmness of 383.14 grams. This clarifies that texture is

affected by storage temperature by increasing Ezekiel breads firmness in lower storage

temperatures.

The standard deviation of the frozen Ezekiel bread was 219.53 grams, while the

standard deviation for the room temperature bread was 183.84 grams. Sample 35 in the room

temperature trial displayed a firmness measurement of -.022 grams. This sample was

disregarded because of the negative reading it produced. A Q-test was not necessary for

sample 35 because it produced a negative result. A relative error was not established because a

true value for the firmness of bread was not determined. Since a true value was not

established, accuracy of the data could not be determined. When the two tailed t - Test was

conducted on the data it resulted in a value of .04.​ ​Because this value is less than .05, it

concludes that there is a significant difference between the data.

There were several variables in this study. If this study was conducted again, these

variables would need to be controlled for more precise data. In the future, when removing the

crust, the bread slices should be individually sliced due to the excess force of the handler

pressing down on the bread slices causes it to have a higher texture score. The bread slices

chosen for the texture analysis should be from the same section, either all the bottom half or

all the top half of the bread loaf. Gravity naturally forces bread to be denser on the bottom,

while the top section of the bread is less dense. The room temperature bread sample for trials

1 and 2 became spoiled with mold and was replaced with another loaf of bread for trials 3 and

4. By replacing the bread, it caused a large variation in the results of the texture of the room
temperature Ezekiel bread. If this study is conducted again, the bread of choice should not

expire until after the trials have finished for more accurate results and to avoid spoilage.

Human error is also an example of an uncontrolled variable. Also, the definition of thawed is

individual and may vary person to person. This would be another variable to consider when

observing the results. For the next study, a set amount of time should be designated for

thawing to control the variables.

 References

Anzaldúa-morales, A. , Brusewitz, G. , & Anderson, J. (1999). Pecan texture as affected

by freezing rates, storage temperature, and thawing rates. Journal of Food

Science, 64(2), 332 335

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Hui, Y. 2006. Handbook of Food Science, Technology, and Engineering, Volume 2.

CRC Press.

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6AEIWzAL#v=onepage&q=frozen%20bread%20texture&f=false​ Accessed 2016

October 20.

The Nielsen Group. 2014. Health and wellness in America: The consumer perspective.

Available from:

​https://www.acefitness.org/blog/5967/are-americans-becoming-more-health-conscious

. Accessed 2016 October 10​.