‘Exact reason I make my own bread’: Grocery shopper notices something strange after comparing Sara Lee, Sunbeam, Bunny bread
An Alabama mom has got people asking why store-bought bread doesn't mold.
Southern Bama Mama (@southernbamamama) raised eyebrows when she showed off three different brands of store-bought bread on her TikTok account. Despite each being several months old, none had even a spot of mold on them.
The video, posted by the self-described wife and mom of three on Dec. 2, has accrued more than 500,000 views.
Months-old bread doesn't mold
"Why are they allowing these things in our food?!" Bama Mama asks in her video's caption. She's suggesting that the bread isn't molding because preservatives are added to it.
"Three different companies. All expired bread. None of them have mold," she says, panning her camera across the three loaves in question.
She first shows a loaf of Bunny Bread with an August expiration date.
"It literally was never used, has the end piece. None of it is molded. Still soft," she notes, pressing down on the loaf, which rises back into shape.
She moves on to a loaf of Sunbeam bread. The expiration date is Oct. 2.
"We'll check some out from the middle [of the loaf]," she says, pulling out several slices. "None of it is molded."
Finally, she samples a loaf of Sara Lee Honey Wheat bread. It also has an October expiration date. It shows no traces of mold.
"Still soft. None molded."
Why doesn't store-bought bread mold?
Most adults can probably remember a time when a loaf of bread was an easy target for mold spores. A bag of white bread left out could quickly become a moldy mess in a few days.
So why doesn't it happen as often now?
The answer is the ingredients. A modern loaf of bread bought in an American supermarket contains a lot of ingredients not found in traditional bread. These include enzymes, emulsifiers, and antimicrobials.
According to Food Republic, modern store-bought bread contains emulsifiers such as "mono- and diglycerides, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (SSL), calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate (CSL), or DATEM: Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Ester of Mono and Diglycerides."
Emulsifiers and enzymes, such as protease, carbohydrase, or oxidase, help keep bread softer longer.
Per Food Republic, antimicrobials like "calcium propionate, sodium benzoate, or potassium sorbate, meanwhile, help to inhibit the growth of mold on the loaf."
Are the added ingredients bad for you?
Alyssa Pike, senior manager of Nutrition Communications at the International Food Information Council, told Everyday Health, "The FDA confirms the safe use of all the preservatives in our food and beverage supply, and each preservative, whether artificially created or naturally sourced, must pass rigorous evaluation for safe use, including a dossier containing a full scientific evaluation.”
Generally speaking, this means that if you're buying bread in a supermarket then it's been deemed safe for consumption by the U.S. government.
"The FDA and USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service would not allow anything to be used in foods which they felt had significant public health consequences,” Donald Schaffner, food scientist at Rutgers University, told Everyday Health.
Pike added that those concerned about additional preservatives should, pursue "a balanced diet that contains fruits, vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats, and whole grains."
What did viewers think?
While the bread may be safe to eat, many long for the bread they remember from years gone by.
"Bread doesn’t taste the same anymore!" one TikToker claimed in the video's comments.
Another noted, "When I was a kid in the 70/80's bread wouldn't last a week, then you would see mold."
"Been saying this forever. my bread never molds anymore. when I was a kid, you got a week max out of bread before it went bad...as it should," a third viewer added.
@southernbamamama Why are they allowing these things in our food?! #breaddoesntmold #thisisscary #bunnybread #sunbeambread #saraleebread ♬ original sound - Southern Bama Mama
The Daily Dot reached out to Sunbeam and Sara Lee via email and Bunny via their website for a statement. The Daily Dot also contacted Southern Bama Mama via email and TikTok messenger for further comment.
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