How a Small Bakery Solved Its Mold Problem Using Water Activity Testing

Food businesses often focus on ingredients, recipes, and presentation. However, one critical factor that is frequently overlooked is water activity (aw). It is a key parameter that directly influences microbial growth, product stability, and overall shelf life.

Recently, a local bakery approached our team at MEFOSA with a recurring challenge. Despite maintaining good ingredient quality and production practices, their packaged cookies and brownies were developing mold before the expected shelf life. This issue has led to increasing customer complaints, product returns, and financial losses.

After reviewing their production process, our team identified that the problem might not lie in the ingredients themselves, but rather in the moisture available for microbial growth within the product. To investigate further, we conducted water activity testing on several batches of their baked goods.

The results revealed that the water activity levels in some of the products were higher than the recommended threshold for mold control. Although the products appeared dry, the available moisture was still sufficient to support mold growth during storage.

Based on these findings, we worked with the bakery to implement practical adjustments, including minor recipe modifications, improved cooling procedures, and optimized packaging conditions. These changes helped reduce the water activity to safer levels without compromising the product’s taste or texture.

Following these improvements, the bakery was able to significantly extend the shelf life of their products and eliminate the recurring mold issue. More importantly, they gained a deeper understanding of how water activity monitoring can be used as a proactive quality control tool.