Eight month old bread still edible

[Herb]

Astonishing, any way you slice itBread Sitting In P.E.I. Cupboard For Eight Months Is Still FreshJames Cowan, National PostPublished: Wednesday, August 01, 2007A loaf of bread that sat neglected on a cupboard shelf in Ellerslie, P.E.I., for eight months is still fresh and free of mould, amazing its 85-year-old owner and her family.Gladys Wagner purchased the loaf of white bread for $1.59 on Nov. 10 and immediately used the heel and first slice to make a sandwich. She rewrapped the bread in its bag, placed it in her cupboard and forgot about it. The following day, Ms. Wagner moved to live with her daughter and son-in-law nearby for the winter, leaving the bread behind.When she returned home this spring, she found the loaf in pristine condition. "She was amazed to see there was no mould on it and it was fresh as a daisy and it still is," Marie Parry, her daughter, told the National Post yesterday. "It's an amazing loaf of bread."Now kept on a shelf on Ms. Parry's porch, the loaf has become a curiosity among neighbours in Ellerslie, a village of about 100 residents in western Prince Edward Island, 90 kilo-metres from Charlottetown. It gained wider acclaim this week when Ms. Parry informed the local media. "It could get mouldy tomorrow and no one would believe this story unless we had other people watching it with us," she said. "So that's when I called the television station and the local paper."Koushik Seetharaman, a University of Guelph professor, said Ms. Wagner appears to have accidently achieved a goal that has eluded many researchers."We've been working to create breads for NASA's shuttle program that last that long and haven't succeeded," he said yesterday.Ms. Wagner said the bread was "very good" when she tried it in November. She could not remember where she purchased the loaf, saying there are two stores where she buys groceries. An employee at MacNeill's Convenience Store in nearby Tyne Valley confirmed yesterday he knew Ms. Wagner, but could not say whether she purchased the loaf at his store. The gentleman, who identified himself as "Mike," said bread usually only stays fresh on the store's shelf for a week.Both Ms. Wagner and her daughter said they found the bread's long life slightly troubling."I wonder what's in it that is keeping it so good," Ms. Wagner said. "There must be something."The loaf was manufactured by Ben's Bakery, a division of Maple Leaf Foods. Alain Tanguay, the bakery's director of quality assurance, said preservatives are added to his company's products to deter mould growth. However, he said preservative levels are uniform in most commercial baked goods."Bread is a product that is regulated by the government, so there are only specific ingredients that we are allowed to put in there and specific amounts we can put in," he said.Mr. Tanguay speculated the bread may have become partially frozen while sitting in Ms. Wagner's empty house over the winter. However, he conceded that did not explain how it has remained unspoiled since Ms. Wagner retrieved it this spring. "I'd like to get my hands on that loaf of bread and try to learn something," he said.Prof. Seetharaman said it would be hard to determine how the bread lasted without studying its ingredients and storage environment. If the bread was frozen, it would have likely become dried out as well, he said, saying that baked goods survive best in a warm and moist environment.jcowan@nationalpost.comhttp://www.canada.com/national...10334

[kevera]

I wouldn't eat it.

[redlava]

Even Twinkies don't last that long!!!I wouldn't eat it either.

[coldmm803]

last summer at college i had a loaf that was 2 months old and mold free but i wasnt gona try that, 8 months is out of the question too

[ArcsVibe]

Quote, originally posted by kevera »I wouldn't eat it. Ugh! Make that 2 of us lol!

[ZubenElGenubi]

Hey, in my college days, a four-day old pizza was still game.I have no problem workin' past the expiration date, long as it's been fridged good.

[WaveAction]

i wouldnt eat it

[kevera]

Quote, originally posted by ZubenElGenubi »Hey, in my college days, a four-day old pizza was still game.I have no problem workin' past the expiration date, long as it's been fridged good.What about now.I used to roll donuts down the street in the rain,then I would eat them.But beer and other things clouded my judgment.I wouldn't do that now.But 8 month old bread,I'll take a pass.

[SeattleJeremy]

I would have thought Canada.com would have a reputable story. This sounds like bunk.